Vγ9Vδ2 T-Cell Polyfunctionality Is Differently Modulated in HAART-Treated HIV Patients according to CD4 T-Cell Count

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 10;10(7):e0132291. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132291. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Alteration of γδ T-cell distribution and function in peripheral blood is among the earliest defects during HIV-infection. We asked whether the polyfunctional response could also be affected, and how this impairment could be associated to CD4 T-cell count. To this aim, we performed a cross-sectional study on HIV-infected individuals. In order to evaluate the polyfunctional-Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell response after phosphoantigen-stimulation, we assessed the cytokine/chemokine production and cytotoxicity by flow-cytometry in HAART-treated-HIV+ persons and healthy-donors. During HIV-infection Vγ9Vδ2-polyfunctional response quality is affected, since several Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell subsets resulted significantly lower in HIV+ patients in respect to healthy donors. Interestingly, we found a weak positive correlation between Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell-response and CD4 T-cell counts. By dividing the HIV+ patients according to CD4 T-cell count, we found that Low-CD4 patients expressed a lower number of two Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell subsets expressing MIP-1β in different combinations with other molecules (CD107a/IFNγ) in respect to High-CD4 individuals. Our results show that the Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell-response quality in Low-CD4 patients is specifically affected, suggesting a direct link between innate Vγ9Vδ2 T-cells and CD4 T-cell count. These findings suggest that Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell quality may be indirectly influenced by HAART therapy and could be included in a new therapeutical strategy which would perform an important role in fighting HIV infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Adult
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HIV Infections / blood
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 / metabolism
  • Male
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1
  • MAPKAP1 protein, human
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
  • Interferon-gamma

Grants and funding

Funding provided by Italian Ministry of Health "Ricerca Corrente" fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.