Abstract
Progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been related to exhaustion of the regenerative capacity of the immune system resulting from high T cell turnover. Analysis of telomeric terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length, a marker for cellular replicative history, showed that CD8(+) T cell TRF length decreased but CD4(+) T cell TRF length was stable during the course of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection, which was not explained by differential telomerase activity. This observation provides evidence that turnover in the course of HIV-1 infection can be increased considerably in CD8(+) T cells, but not in CD4(+) T cells. These results are compatible with CD4(+) T cell decline in HIV-1 infection caused by interference with cell renewal.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / blood*
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CD4 Lymphocyte Count
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / enzymology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / pathology*
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / ultrastructure
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / enzymology
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / pathology*
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / ultrastructure
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Cell Death
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Cell Division
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Cross-Sectional Studies
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Disease Progression
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HIV Infections / blood
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HIV Infections / immunology*
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HIV-1*
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Humans
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Leukocytes, Mononuclear / enzymology
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Leukocytes, Mononuclear / pathology
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Leukocytes, Mononuclear / ultrastructure
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Lymphocyte Count
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Male
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Matched-Pair Analysis
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Telomerase / blood
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Telomere / ultrastructure*