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Connectivity and HIV‐1 Infection: Role of CD4 + T‐Cell Counts and HIV‐1 RNA Copy Number
Author(s) -
PadiernaOlivos L.,
MorenoAltamirano M. M. B.,
SánchezColón S.,
MassóRojas F.,
SánchezGarcía F. J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2000.00812.x
Subject(s) - antibody , biology , immunology , virology , epitope , autoantibody , viral load , immune system , pathogenesis , virus , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , t cell , lentivirus , viral disease
Following primary infection with human immundeficiency virus (HIV)‐1, antibodies against specific HIV‐1 epitopes are elicited. However, non‐HIV‐1 specific antibodies, including autoantibodies, also arise. In fact, it has been proposed that such autoantibodies have an important role in the pathogenesis of HIV‐1 infection. Because an imbalance in connectivity has been associated with autoimmune processes, we investigated the connectivity status of HIV‐1‐infected individuals. Moreover, we tested the possible role of viral load and CD4 + T‐cell counts, in connectivity, because these parameters appear to be important in the prognosis of HIV‐1 infection. Results show that indeed, there is an alteration in connectivity in these patients, both for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM, which is an immune alteration not previously identified in HIV‐1 infection. In addition, our results show that viral load and CD4 + T‐cell counts are both equally important in defining the characteristic pattern of connectivity in HIV‐1‐infected individuals, and that neither is independently responsible for alterations in patient connectivity status.