Abstract
BackgroundDuring early HIV-1 infection (EHI), the interaction between the immune response and the virus determines disease progression. Although CD1c + myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) can trigger the immune response, the relationship between CD1c + mDC alteration and disease progression has not yet been defined.MethodsEHI changes in CD1c + mDC counts, surface marker (CD40, CD86, CD83) expression, and IL-12 secretion were assessed by flow cytometry in 29 patients.ResultsWhen compared with the normal controls, patients with EHI displayed significantly lower CD1c + mDC counts and IL-12 secretion and increased surface markers. CD1c + mDC counts were positively correlated with CD4+ T cell counts and inversely associated with viral loads. IL-12 secretion was only positively associated with CD4+ T cell counts. Rapid progressors had lower counts, CD86 expression, and IL-12 secretion of CD1c + mDCs comparing with typical progressors. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models suggested patients with low CD1c + mDC counts (<10 cells/μL) had a 4-fold higher risk of rapid disease progression than those with high CD1c + mDC counts. However, no relationship was found between surface markers or IL-12 secretion and disease progression.ConclusionsDuring EHI, patients with low CD1c + mDC counts were more likely to experience rapid disease progression than those with high CD1c + mDC counts.
Highlights
During early HIV-1 infection (EHI), the interaction between the immune response and the virus determines disease progression
Pa comparisons between normal controls (NCs) and EHI, Pb comparisons between Rapid progressors (RPs) and typical progressors (TPs) evident during EHI, we found that patients with EHI had significantly lower CD1c + myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) counts and IL-12 secretion levels compared with NCs (p = 0.018, p = 0.010) (Fig. 1a and c)
We found CD1c + mDC counts and IL-12 secretion were positively associated with CD4+ T cell counts, and CD1c + mDC counts were inversely associated with viral loads
Summary
During early HIV-1 infection (EHI), the interaction between the immune response and the virus determines disease progression. CD1c + myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) can trigger the immune response, the relationship between CD1c + mDC alteration and disease progression has not yet been defined. Myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) are a subset of dendritic cells (DCs) responsible for presenting antigens. They play critical roles in the induction of innate and acquired immune responses to viruses [1,2,3,4]. MDCs consist of heterogeneous cell populations, including the main subpopulation CD1c + mDCs [5, 6]. As one subset of mDCs, CD1c + mDCs can be stimulated by various pathogens (such as HIV-1), which results in the increase of major histocompatibility
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