title: Short communication: proangiogenic hematopoietic cells in acute HIV infection.
abstract: Chronic HIV infection induces significant changes in the trafficking of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Specifically, it causes marked depletion of proangiogenic hematopoietic cells, the so-called colony-forming unit-endothelial cells (CFU-ECs). In this study we evaluated CFU-ECs in two subjects with acute HIV infection. We found that both patients already had a low CFU-EC level at the time of diagnosis. Nevertheless, after 6 months of antiretroviral therapy, the CFU-EC concentration reverted to normal values in both cases. HIV significantly depletes the CFU-EC compartment even in the early phase of infection, while 6-month therapy appears to be able to restore it.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Sciences of Aging, G. d'Annunzio University School of Medicine, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ucciferri
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teofili
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Iachininoto
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capodimonti
authors.forename: Eugenia R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Nuzzolo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vignale
authors.forename: Eligio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pizzigallo
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002452:Cell Count; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents