Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 1999, p. 872-877, Vol. 6, No. 6
1071-412X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Clinical Immunology Laboratory and Department of Microbiology/Immunology, Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois 60064,1 and Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 606082
Received 14 April 1999/Returned for modification 24 June 1999/Accepted 25 August 1999
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes extensive
phenotypic alterations in lymphocytes. Cellular markers that are
normally absent or expressed at low levels on quiescent cells are
upregulated throughout the disease course. The transmembrane form of
regeneration and tolerance factor (RTF) is expressed at negligible
levels on resting T cells but is quickly upregulated following in vitro
stimulation and activation. Recently, we reported that expression of
RTF was significantly higher in cells from HIV-seropositive
(HIV+) individuals than in cells from HIV-seronegative
(HIV
) individuals. Because T cells from HIV+
individuals express markers reflecting chronic activation, we hypothesized that these in vivo-activated cells would coexpress RTF.
Flow cytometry was used to assess RTF expression on activated (CD38+ and HLA-DR+) CD4+ and
CD8+ T cells. HIV+ individuals had higher
percentages of RTF+ CD38+ (P < 0.0001) or RTF+ HLA-DR+ (P = 0.0001) CD4+ T cells than HIV
individuals.
In HIV+ individuals, increased percentages of
CD4+ T cells that were RTF+, RTF+
CD38+, and RTF+ HLA-DR+ correlated
inversely with the absolute number and percentage of CD4+ T
cells and correlated positively with plasma
2-microglobulin concentrations. HIV+
individuals had higher percentages of CD8+ T cells that
were RTF+ CD38+ (P = 0.0001)
or RTF+ HLA-DR+ (P = 0.0010).
In HIV+ individuals, increased percentages of
CD8+ T cells that were RTF+ HLA-DR+
correlated inversely with the percentage of CD4+ T cells,
and high percentages of CD8+ T cells that were
RTF+ CD38+ correlated positively with plasma
2-microglobulin levels. These findings strongly suggest
that increased RTF expression is a correlate of HIV-associated immune
system activation.
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