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CD4+ Lymphocyte Depletion in HIV‐Infected Patients is Associated with gp120‐Immunoglobulin‐Complement Attachment to CD4+ Cells
Author(s) -
Daniel Volker,
Süsal Caner,
Prodeus Andrej P.,
Weimer Rolf,
Zimmermann Rainer,
HuthKühne Angela,
Opelz Gerhard
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1993.tb02511.x
Subject(s) - antibody , immunology , immune system , lymphocyte , complement (music) , t lymphocyte , complement system , biology , phenotype , biochemistry , complementation , gene
The mechanism of CD4+ lymphocyte depletion, which is the main immunological feature in HIV‐infected patients, is unclear. We investigated whether gp120‐immunoglobulin‐complement complexes on the surface of CD4+ cells might be involved in the elimination of CD4+ lymphocytes. The results obtained in 63 HIV‐infected patients show that gp120 is attached to a variable degree to CD4+ cells. Importantly, the percentage of CD4+gp120+ lymphocytes is inversely associated with CD4+ lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood (p = 0.0004). CD4+gp120+ blood lymphocytes bind IgM (p = 0.0027) and IgG antibodies (p = 0.0001) and complement (p = 0.0005). These results suggest that immune complex‐mediated cell elimination is an important mechanism of CD4+ cell depletion in patients with AIDS.