title: Proportion of HIV-1 infected CD8+CD4- T lymphocytes in vivo.
abstract: The proportion and significance of HIV-1 infection of CD8+ T-cells was examined in a patient cohort of HIV-1 seropositive (n=28) and seronegative individuals (n=4). It was hypothesized that irrespective of the clinical status of the patients, productively HIV-1 infected CD8+ T-cells would be found and these cells would contribute to the plasma viral load in vivo. Flow cytometric analysis using fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies, RT-PCR analysis using HIV-1(pol) specific primers, and quantification of HIV-1 viral transcripts by ex vivo culture of isolated CD8+ T-cells were employed. In 22 of the 28 patient samples analyzed, a significantly higher proportion of cells with expression of CD8+HIV-1(gag)+ than of CD4+HIV-1(gag)+ T-cells was observed (36.9% +/- 10.0% vs 26.4% +/- 13.1% respectively, p< 0.01). No correlation was observed between absolute CD4 counts, CD8 counts, plasma viral load and CD8+ T cell infection. RT-PCR analysis indicated the presence of HIV-1 transcripts in the ex vivo isolated CD8+ T-cell population. Ex vivo isolated CD8+ T-cells demonstrated productive infection over time. We conclude, with three lines of evidence detecting and measuring HIV-1 infection of CD8+ T-lymphocytes, that this cellular target and reservoir may be central to HIV-1 pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: National HIV and Retrovirology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada, 200 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gulzar
authors.forename: Bilge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diker
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mihowich
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deschatelets
authors.forename: Mary-Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Arsenault
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lamoureux
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Karen F T
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Copeland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins