Immunologic features of HIV-1-infected women on HAART at delivery.
BACKGROUND
The conjoint effect of HIV infection and pregnancy on the immune system of women submitted to the prophylactic antiretroviral therapy presently recommended is still poorly understood.


METHODS
We evaluated 44 HIV-infected women (HIV) and 45 HIV-negative women (CT) at parturition and we compared them to 20 healthy nonpregnant women (NP). Immunophenotyping of lymphocytes was done by four-color flow cytometry.


RESULTS
All HIV-infected women received HAART during pregnancy and 56.8% had viral load <50 copies/mL at delivery. CD4+T cells/mm(3) were lower in HIV (447) than CT (593) and NP (738) (P < 0.05). CD8+T cells/mm(3) were higher in HIV (799) than CT (384) and NP (395) (P < 0.05). NK cells/mm(3) were lower in HIV (146) than in CT (253) and NP (198) (P < 0.05). CD38 expression on CD4+T and on CD8+T cells was higher in HIV (CD4:12.1; CD8:14.9) than in CT(CD4:9.2; CD8:10.2) and NP(CD4:8.6; CD8:6.0) (P < 0.05). However, CD56 expression on CD8+T cells (a marker of cytolytic effector function) was lower in HIV(7%) than in CT(12%) and NP(9%) (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Even with low levels of viremia, HIV-infected women at delivery showed a different immunologic profile from both healthy non-HIV-infected women in the puerperium and nonpregnant women, with lower CD4+T and higher CD8+T cells, high levels of CD38 expression, but low CD56 expression on CD8+T cells and low NK cell numbers.
Ono
Erika
E
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Dos Santos
Amélia M N
AM
Machado
Daisy M
DM
Succi
Regina C de M
RC
Amed
Abes M
AM
Salomão
Reinaldo
R
Kallás
Esper G
EG
de Moraes-Pinto
M Isabel
MI
D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia
D015851:Interleukin-7; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1