title: Reciprocal alterations of Th1/Th2 function in gammadelta T-cell subsets of human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected patients.
abstract: While T cells that express Vgamma9 as a variable T-cell receptor chain dominate among peripheral blood gammadelta T cells in healthy adults, Vdelta1 cells are the major subpopulation of gammadelta T cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. We used intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry to analyse whether an imbalance of T helper 1 (Th1)/T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine patterns, as observed in alphabeta T cells, also occurs in gammadelta T cells. When compared with healthy HIV-negative subjects, HIV+ patients had a decreased number of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)+gammadelta T cells, which showed a linear relation to the CD4+ cell count but not to the plasma viral load. Similar results were obtained when Vgamma9 cells were analysed. In contrast, in the Vdelta1 subpopulation, the number of IFN-gamma+ cells was increased in HIV+ donors when compared with healthy subjects. Even though less impressive, the number of interleukin 4 (IL-4)- and IL-10-producing cells was uniformly inversely correlated with the number of tumour necrosis factor-alpha+ and IFN-gamma+ cells. The increased IFN-gamma-producing capacity of Vdelta1 cells might represent a compensatory mechanism for the progressive loss of Vgamma9 gammadelta T cells during the course of HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Dobmeyer
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobmeyer
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wesch
authors.forename: Eilke B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoelzer
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kabelitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma