AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, April 25, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

"Immune activation is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This effect may be particularly relevant in Africa, where endemic coinfections may contribute to disease progression, perhaps as a consequence of enhanced immune activation," researchers in the United States said.

"We investigated the expression of CD38 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR on T cells in 168 HIV-seropositive volunteers in Uganda. We observed higher levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation in Uganda, compared with those reported in previous studies from Western countries," reported M.P. Eggena and coworkers, University of California, San Francisco.

"Coexpression of CD38 and HLA-DR on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets was directly correlated with viral load and inversely correlated with CD4+ T cell counts. In antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive volunteers," the authors wrote, "viral load and CD4+ T cell count had stronger associations with CD8+ and CD4+ T cell activation, respectively."

"Virus suppression by ART was associated with a reduction in T cell activation, with a stronger observed effect on reducing CD8+ compared with CD4+ T cell activation. The presence of coinfection was associated with increased CD4+ T cell activation but, interestingly," investigators continued, "not with increased CD8+ T cell activation."

Eggena concluded, "Our results suggest that distinct mechanisms differentially drive activation in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets, which may impact the clinical prognostic values of T cell activation in HIV infection."

Eggena and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases (T cell activation in HIV-seropositive Ugandans: Differential associations with viral load, CD4+ T cell depletion, and coinfection. J Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 1;191(5):694-701.

For additional information, contact M.P. Eggena, California Department Hlth Service, Viral & Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Infectious Diseases is: University Chicago Press, 1427 E 60TH St., Chicago, IL 60637-2954, USA.

Keywords: Richmond, California, United States, HIV/AIDS, T Cell Activation, Uganda, HIV Coinfection, Prognostic Indicator.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Eggena MP, Barugahare B, Okello M, et al., T cell activation in HIV-seropositive Ugandans: differential associations with viral load, CD4+ T cell depletion, and coinfection, J Infect Dis. 2005 Mar 1;191(5):694-701.

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