Abstract

Antioxidants significantly inhibit oxidative processes. The study seeks to determine the activity of endogenous antioxidants and CD4+ T-cell expression in HIV-serodiscordant-heterosexual partners. The case-control study had the following groups; A- (13 serodiscordant-seronegative subjects), B- (13 serodiscordant-seropositive subjects) and C/control- (13 healthy volunteers). CD4+ T-cell expression was determined using a FACScan (fluorescent activated cell sorting) flow cytometer. CAT (catalase), superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase (GHPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were assayed using spectrophotometer. The activities of SOD, GHPX, GST and CAT were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 164.7% (0.090 +/- 0.032), 126% (662 +/- 96), 355.2% (22.023 +/- 1.4) and 119.1% (2.76 +/- 0.10), respectively, in group A when compared with B. The mean CD4+ T-cell (1348 +/- 142) showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase by 237% when compared with group B (400 +/- 182). Conversely, group B revealed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in activity by 86.5% (CAT), 76.5% (SOD), 106.8% (GHPX) and 81.8% (GST) when compared with C. CD4+ T-cells in groups A and C (1390 +/- 190) did not show any significant decrease (3.11%). The antioxidant activity showed a positive correlation (P < 0.01, r = 0.89) with their respective CD4+ T-cells in groups A and C. Group B showed same positive correlation (P < 0.01, r = 0.76). These results show that high activity of endogenous antioxidants may have a protective role on CD4+ T-cells, which limits HIV infection.