Open AccessConcomitant augmentation of CD4 + CD29 + helper inducer and diminution of CD4 + CD45RA + suppressor inducer subset in patients infected with human T cell lymphotropic virus types I or II
Author(s) -
LAL R. B.,
RUDOLPH D. L.,
SCHMID D. S.,
LAIRMORE M. D.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb02990.x
Subject(s) - cd8 , immunology , cytotoxic t cell , biology , cd5 , il 2 receptor , population , virology , t lymphocyte , t cell , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , antigen , immune system , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry , environmental health
SUMMARY To examine the immunomodulatory effects of HTLV infection, lymphocyte subset analysis was performed on patients infected with human T cell lymphotropic virus type‐I (HTLV‐I, n = 6) or ‐II (HTLV‐II, n = 12) and on normal blood donors ( n = 16). The percentages of total B lymphocytes (CD19), natural killer (NK) cells (CDI6), T lymphocytes and their subsets (CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CDS), and IL‐2R (CD2S) were found to be within the range found in normal donors. However, the expression of CD8 + HLA‐DR + increased significantly in patients with HTLV‐I or HTLV‐II infection (14.1 ± 3.9% and 9.7 ± 2.4% respectively; P <0.01) when compared with controls (3.2 ± 1.1%). In addition, there was a significantly greater proportion of CD4 + CD29 + T lymphocytes (29.3 ± 6.1% and 31.1 ± 9.0%; P <0.05) with concomitant diminution of CD4+CD45RA + T lymphocytes (8.3 ± 3.3% and 11.4 ± 1.5%; P <0.01) in patients infected with HTLV‐I or HTLV‐II respectively, when compared with controls. The increased percentage of CD4 + CD29 + subpopulations showed a direct correlation ( r s =0.86; P <0.001) with HTLV‐specific antibody production. No difference in the CD8 population coexpressing CD29 and S6F1 (an epitope of LFA‐1) were observed in the HTLV‐infcctcd group when compared with normal donors and functional analysis exhibited minimal cytotoxicity against lectin labelled heterologous target cells. Thus, the shift in the suppressor/cytotoxic to helper/inducer‘memory’ CD4 + may be associated with immunoregulatory abnormalities often found in persons infected with HTLV‐I or HTLV‐II.