title: The effect of aging on T-regulatory cell frequency in HIV infection.
abstract: T-regulatory cell (T-reg) frequency is increased in HIV infection and with aging. We evaluated the effect of age on total, memory and naïve T-reg percentages in untreated HIV infection. Older HIV(+) subjects had a total T-reg percent that is 2.8% (p=0.02) higher than among younger HIV(+), older HIV(-) and younger HIV(-) subjects. In HIV(+) subjects, the total T-reg percentage is inversely correlated with the lymphocyte proliferative responses to tetanus (r=-0.45, p=0.002) and Candida (r=-0.43, p=0.003) antigens. Similar correlations were seen between memory T-reg percentages and the lymphocyte proliferative response to tetanus and Candida in HIV(+) subjects. T-reg percentages did not correlate consistently with markers of immune activation. T-reg percentages are increased in the older HIV(+) population and may play a role in the accelerated disease progression seen in older HIV-infected persons.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Rush Medical College, 600 S. Paulina Street, Suite 143-AAC, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. allan_s_tenorio@rush.edu
authors.forename: Allan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tenorio
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spritzler
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinson
authors.forename: Caroline N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Gichinga
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lederman
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kalayjian
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Landay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult