title: [Effect of opportunistic infections on the frequency of leukocyte subpopulations from type-1 human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The presence of opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome favors the progression of HIV-1 infection. Despite the key role that several leukocyte subpopulations exhibit during the anti-infectious response, few studies have focused on the role of these cells in HIV-1-infected patients with active opportunistic infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The quantity of several innate and adaptive cell subpopulations was evaluated in whole peripheral blood of HIV-1-infected patients, with and without a history of opportunistic infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  The absolute number of each leukocyte subpopulation was evaluated by flow cytometry, and for each cell subpopulation, this number was correlated with viral load, CD4+ T cell count and the expression of activation markers on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronically HIV-1 infected patients exhibited a quantitative deficiency in several leukocyte subpopulations; this effect was more pronounced in individuals suffering an active opportunistic infection. This indicated that the coinfection by HIV-1 and opportunistic microorganisms potentiated the immunodeficiency by reducing significantly the frequency of different subpopulations of leukocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding underlines the importance of an early diagnose of HIV-1 infection, and the need for the rational use of antiretroviral medications to avoid the development of opportunistic infections. In addition, it points to the necessity of developing immunotherapy strategies for HIV-1-infected patients in order to re-establish the immune competence.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Inmunovirología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Zoraida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cataño
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Román
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rugeles
authors.forename: Carlos Julio
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Montoya
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents