CD8+ T-cell interleukin-7 receptor alpha expression as a potential indicator of disease status in HIV-infected children.
BACKGROUND
Initiation and modification of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children depend on viral load and CD4+ T-cell count. However, these surrogates have limitations, and complementary immunological markers to assess therapeutic response are needed. Our aim was to evaluate CD8+ T-cell expression of CD127 as a marker of disease status in HIV-infected children, based on adult data suggesting its usefulness. We hypothesized that CD127 expression on CD8+ T-cells is lower in children with more advanced disease.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional evaluation, we used flow cytometry to measure CD127+ expression on CD8+ T-cells in whole blood from HIV-infected children with varying disease status. This was compared with expression of CD38 on this subset, currently used in clinical practice as a marker of disease status.


RESULTS
51 HIV-infected children were enrolled. There was a strong positive correlation between CD127 expression on CD8+ T-cells and CD4+ T-cell count, and height and weight z-scores, and a strong negative correlation between CD127 expression and viral load. In contrast, we found no association between CD38 expression and these disease status markers.


CONCLUSIONS
CD8+ T-cell CD127 expression is significantly higher in children with better HIV disease control, and may have a role as an immunologic indicator of disease status. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the utility of this marker as a potential indicator of HIV disease progression.
Sharma
Tanvi S
TS
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Hughes
Jane
J
Murillo
Amarylis
A
Riley
Joanne
J
Soares
Andreia
A
Little
Francesca
F
Mitchell
Charles D
CD
Hanekom
Willem A
WA
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D053699:Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D019562:Viral Load
D015415:Biomarkers; D053699:Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit