Abstract
Impairment of T-cell renewal has been proposed as contributing to CD4+ T-cell depletion in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1. We analyzed the T-cell development capacity of progenitors using fetal thymus organ culture. Those who progressed to AIDS had a dramatic loss in T-cell development capacity shortly after seroconversion. In contrast, long-term nonprogressors retained progenitor capacity 8 years after seroconversion. Approximately 70% of patients experienced an improvement in T-cell development capacity after receiving 6 months of potent antiretroviral therapy. Improvement in T-cell development in fetal thymus organ culture correlated with an increase in the number of naive CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood. Numbers of progenitors in blood and bone marrow after seroconversion or during therapy did not correlate with the change observed in T-cell development capacity. These data provide evidence that HIV-1 infection can interfere with T-cell renewal at the level of the progenitor cell. Interference with T-cell renewal may contribute to CD4+ T-cell depletion. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 242-249 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Blood |
Volume | 96 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2000 |