title: Dendritic and natural killer cell subsets associated with stable or declining CD4+ cell counts in treated HIV-1-infected children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural killer (NK) cells and plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) are depleted, and their function impaired, in advanced adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection. Studies in perinatally infected children are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Percentages of NK cells and plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forty children with perinatal HIV-1 infection were compared with 11 age-matched, uninfected children. Plasmacytoid and myeloid DC function was evaluated by activation-induced cytokine secretion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Virally suppressed children had normal levels of circulating plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs and total NK cells but had sustained depletion of a mature (CD3-/161+/56+/16+) NK cell subset and decreased interferon- alpha secretion by plasmacytoid DCs. Despite similar viral loads, percentages of myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs and mature NK cells were significantly lower in viremic children with a history of decreasing CD4+ cell percentages, compared with children with stable CD4+ cell counts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children achieve partial reconstitution of myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs and NK cells during viral suppression; irrespective of viral load, a clinical history of decreasing CD4+ cell percentage is associated with greater depletion of these subsets. We hypothesize that the evaluation of selected innate-immunity effector cells may serve as a marker of CD4+ cell loss in pediatric HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4268, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Azzoni
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rutstein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chehimi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farabaugh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowmos
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Montaner
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015497:HIV-1; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha