AEGiS-15IAC: Expression of gp120 as a surrogate marker in HIV infection.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Expression of gp120 as a surrogate marker in HIV infection.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. B10068)

Escobar Guevara EE, Monzon de Orozco AO, Mantilla Guevara P, Ochoa Diaz M, Pacheco ME, Marcano de Heras EJ
Bio Cell Laboratory, Caracas, Venezuela

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the expression of HIV-1's gp120 in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes of infected patients as a surrogate marker of disease progression.

METHODS: Ninety seven patients infected with HIV were studied, analyzing correlation of viral load, T cell subsets, expression of activation markers, antiretroviral therapy and clinical signs and symptoms of disease progression with the expression of gp120 in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes.

RESULTS: When the expression of gp120 was evaluated in the whole group of patients it had a strong positive statistically significant correlation with progression to disease, evaluated as CDC categories for HIV surveillance (p<0.001); viral load (p<0.001); expression of CD38 in CD8+ T lymphocytes (p<0.001); and a strong negative statistically significant correlation with CD4+ T lymphocytes percentage and absolute values (p=0.001 and p=0.008, respectively). When the patients who had not received any antiretroviral therapy were analyzed as a separate group, the expression of gp120 had a strong positive correlation with the expression of CD95 in CD4+ T lymphocytes (p<0.001). In patients under HAART, the expression of gp120 was lower (t student, p<0.001), but the correlation of it with the rest of the parameters was not present.

CONCLUSIONS: Expression of gp120 in CD4+ T lymphocytes of peripheral blood of patients infected with HIV-1 has a good correlation with known surrogate markers of progression to disease when evaluated in the whole group of patients or in patients who had not received antiretroviral therapy, but when HAART is initiated this correlation disappear, so limiting the use of it as a surrogate marker in this important group of patients.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Envelope Protein gp120, HIV Infections, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, HIV-1, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Viral Load, Biological Markers, ADP-ribosyl Cyclase, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Antigens, CD, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, Antigens, CD8, Disease Progression, T-Lymphocytes, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, CD38 antigen, Humans, immunology

040711
B10068