Pontesilli O, Carlesimo M, Varani AR, D'Offizi G, Aiuti F; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: A69 (abstract no. PoA 2397).
Dept. of Allergy and Clin. Immunol., Univ. La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether HIV specific T helper responses are generated during early HIV disease and to correlate them with CD4+ lymphocyte function and number. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) proliferative response to recombinant HIV-1 p24 and gp160, at the concentration of 2 micrograms/ml, and Tetanus toxoid, at the concentration of 1Lf/ml, in 7-day cultures was evaluated in CDC II and III HIV-infected patients with CD4+ cell counts greater than 400/cu. mm. and in HIV seronegative controls. The CD4+ cell number decline rate was calculated as the slope of the regression line obtained with the least square method. PHA and OKT3 were used as mitogens in 3-day PBMNC cultures. RESULTS: Proliferative response to p24 was detected in 5 of 21 patients with asymptomatic HIV infection, whereas gp160 specific response was absent in all the subjects studied. No proliferative response to the two antigens was found in seronegative controls. Anti-CD3 driven responses were present in all the subjects studied showing good T cell functional capacity; no correlation was found between the HIV specific response and the CD4+ cell counts or the proliferative responses to mitogens or Tetanus toxoid. In 8 subjects where at least 3 determinations of the CD4+ cell number over a minimum of 18 months were available, the rate of CD4+ cell decline was correlated with the response to p24; 3 of the 4 subjects in this group who showed significant proliferative response to p24 (S.I. greater than 2), were characterized by a lack of CD4+ cell decrease (negative slopes), whereas the 4 patients with no response to p24 had rates of CD4+ cell decline greater than 50/year, as expected in the majority of HIV infected subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The HIV specific T helper function appears weak and only sporadically evident even in infected subjects with relatively intact general immune functions; the presence of a proliferative response to p24 seems to be associated with a slow decline of CD4+ cell counts. This points out the utility of a longitudinal study of the response to p24 from the time of seroconversion to later disease phases to assess its potential usefulness as surrogate marker of disease progression.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Vaccines
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Anti-HIV Agents
- Antigens, CD4
- CD4 Lymphocyte Count
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
- Gene Products, env
- HIV
- HIV Antibodies
- HIV Antigens
- HIV Core Protein p24
- HIV Infections
- HIV Long-Term Survivors
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Immunologic Techniques
- Longitudinal Studies
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Protein Precursors
- immunology
- organization & administration
Other ID:
UI: 102198423
From Meeting Abstracts