Abstract

RAMIREZ, Zoraida et al. Effect of opportunistic infections on the frequency of leukocyte subpopulations from type-1 human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals. Biomédica [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.1, pp.64-77. ISSN 0120-4157.

Introduction. The presence of opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome favors the progression of HIV-1 infection. Despite the key role that several leukocyte subpopulations exhibit during the anti-infectious response, few studies have focused on the role of these cells in HIV-1-infected patients with active opportunistic infections. Objective. The quantity of several innate and adaptive cell subpopulations was evaluated in whole peripheral blood of HIV-1-infected patients, with and without a history of opportunistic infections. Materials and methods. The absolute number of each leukocyte subpopulation was evaluated by flow cytometry, and for each cell subpopulation, this number was correlated with viral load, CD4+ T cell count and the expression of activation markers on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Results. Chronically HIV-1 infected  patients exhibited a quantitative deficiency in several leukocyte subpopulations; this effect was more pronounced in individuals suffering an active opportunistic infection. This indicated that the coinfection by HIV-1 and opportunistic microorganisms potentiated the immunodeficiency by reducing significantly the frequency of different subpopulations of leukocytes. Conclusions. This finding underlines the importance of an early diagnose of HIV-1 infection, and the need for the rational use of antiretroviral medications to avoid the development of opportunistic infections. In addition, it points to the necessity of developing immunotherapy strategies for HIV-1-infected patients in order to re-establish the immune competence.

Keywords : leucocitos; AIDS-related opportunistic infections [immunology]; leukocytes; HIV-1; lymphocyte activation; dendritic cells; natural killer cells; natural.

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