title: Variations in plasmacytoid dendritic cell (PDC) and myeloid dendritic cell (MDC) levels in HIV-infected subjects on and off antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: Plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells are reduced in AIDS patients. The number of these circulating cells was assessed cross-sectionally and longitudinally in 27 uninfected and 72 HIV-infected subjects on and off antiretroviral therapy. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell numbers were significantly reduced in the HIV-infected subjects compared to controls (p < 0.001). This reduction correlated directly with CD4+ cell counts (p < 0.001) and inversely with viral load (p < 0.001). These associations were found to a lesser degree for the myeloid dendritic cells. Intra-assay variability of these dendritic cell counts was < 10%. Antiretroviral therapy significantly increased plasmacytoid dendritic cell (p < 0.001) and CD4+ cell (p = 0.05) counts at 8 months by 76.9% and 19%, respectively. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell levels responded more readily to viral load increases and decreases than CD4+ cells. Circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells may provide important additional information about immune function in HIV-infected subjects receiving or not receiving antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-1270, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Sue H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jay A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D002452:Cell Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D022423:Myeloid Cells / Q000276:immunology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents