CD8+ T-Lymphocytes count in People Living With HIV/AIDS, at the Asymptomatic

Phase, Symptomatic Phase and During Antiretroviral Therapy.

M.T. Agyei-Frempong and S.K. Kyei

Contact: kyei.stephen@gmail.com
Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Abstract
It has been reported that CD8+ T-Lymphocytes play a protective role in HIV infection. However, it has not been adopted for routine management of people living with HIV/AIDS. The dynamics of CD8+ T-
Lymphocyte in HIV infected individuals at various stages of the disease will be essential for better therapies in the future if not now. This project was designed to determine the absolute cell counts of
CD4+, and CD8+ T-Lymphocytes at various stages of HIV-infection using flow cytometry. The absolute mean CD8+ T-cell count was significantly higher (P= 0.005) in the asymptomatic group compared with
the symptomatic group, but insignificantly higher (P=0.019) compared with the HAART group. Morever, CD4+ T-cell count was significantly higher (P<0.001) in the asymptomatic group compared with the
symptomatic group , but insignificantly lower (P=0.148) with the HAART group. Progression to disease was associated with decline in the CD8+ T-cell counts.Conclusion
Results
This study reveals the importance of
considering CD8+ T-cell count as an important indicator of disease progression in HIV-infection.
Introduction
The highest mean CD8+ T-cell count was observed in the This study has demonstrated that progression to disease in HIV
It has been reported that CD8+ T-Lymphocytes play a protective asymptomatic group (1413.00±923.227 cells/µl) , being infection correlates with decline in CD8+ T-cell counts, and
role in HIV infection (Yang et al., 1997), as the activity of strong significantly higher (P= 0.005), than the symptomatic group highlights the importance of considering in CD8+ T-cell
CD8+ T-cell response has been implicated for the initial decline in (954.06±624.425 cells/µl). Further, the asymptomatic group had an count as an important indicator of disease progression in
viremia after exposure and in long term non progressors (LTNPs), insignificantly higher (P=0.091) mean CD8+ T-cell count than the HIV1-infection.
and exposed but uninfected individuals (ESNs) (Propato et al., HAART group (1149±581 cells/µl). However, there was an
2001). The presence of strong HIV-specific CTLs have been found insignificantly higher (P=0.108) CD8+ T-cell count in the HAART References
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CD3+ T˗CELLS
ASYMPTOMATIC significantly higher CD8+ T-cell count than the
26% symptomatic group could be due to maintenance of some 7. Yang A.G., Chen JD, Bai X. (1997).Inactivation of HIV-1 chemokine
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CD8+ T-cell antiviral activity as mutation rate of the 1116.
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drugs (Skiest et al., 2003).
17%
SYMPTOMATIC
27%
Fig.3. Distribution of mean absolute CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in HIV Acknowledgements
positive subjects
We express our appreciation to Mr. Dompreh Albert, senior biomedical scientist at
CONTROL
the KATH (Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital) serology laboratory for his technical
assistance in all the laboratory work, and all the staff of the KATH Chest clinic,
Fig.1. CD3+ T-cell proliferation in the study groups. Immunohaematology laboratory, and the Blood Bank.