Positive Association between β -Chemokine-Producing T Cells and HIV Type 1 Viral Load in HIV-Infected Subjects in Abidjan,Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

The role of β-chemokines in controlling HIV replication in vivo is still controversial. Therefore, the association between HIV-1 plasma viral load and the capacity of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells to produce β-chemokines was studied in 28 antiretroviral drug-naïve HIV-1-infected female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Percentages of β-chemokine-positive T cells were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry after intracellular staining for RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and MIP-1β. HIV-1-infected subjects had higher percentages of MIP-1α- and MIP-1β-positive CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells(p < 0.02) and of RANTES-positive CD8⁺ T cells (p = 0.054) than uninfected controls. Percentages of RANTES- and MIP-1β-positive CD8⁺ T cells correlated directly with HIV-1 plasma viral load (p < 0.02). Percentages of β-chemokine-positive CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells correlated directly with percentages of HLA-DR-positive T cells (p < 0.02) and inversely (except RANTES in CD4⁺ T cells) with absolute numbers of CD4⁺ T cells (p < 0.05) in peripheral blood. These data indicate that increased percentages of β-chemokine-producing T cells in HIV-1-infected subjects correlate with disease progression and are a sign of viremia-driven chronic T cell activation.