HIV-1 from a seronegative transplant donor.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J V Giorgi.
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Identification of nonviable cells in immunofluorescently stained cell populations is essential for obtaining accurate data. Fluorescent non-vital DNA dyes, particularly propidium iodide (PI), have been used routinely in flow cytometry for discrimination of dead cells from viable cells on the basis of fluorescence. We describe here the use of an alternative DNA dye, 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD), which can replace PI for the exclusion of nonviable cells. As an example, we present in this paper the utilization of 7-AAD on various leukemic cell lines for dead cell exclusion whenever the viable cell population could not be discriminated reliably from nonviable cells on the light scatter histogram; 7-AAD is suitable for dead cell discrimination in lengthy experiments because it is efficiently excluded by intact cells and has a high DNA binding constant. In addition, the dye is valuable in combination with phycoerythrin (PE)-fluorescence dual-color flow cytometry on a single argon laser instrument, since its emission in the far red can easily be separated from the emission of PE; 7-AAD was used on fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC) and PE surface-labeled human thymocytes for characterization of the dying subpopulation of cells which is undergoing programmed cell death. In this heterogeneous cell preparation, the spectral properties of the dye permitted the classification of viable and nonviable cell subpopulations by multiparameter analysis.
The Sixth Annual Clinical Applications of Cytometry Meeting was held September 11-14, 1991, in Charleston, SC. Attendance reached a record 470. The meeting provides a forum for interactions among investigators who utilize cytometry as a tool in their clinical immunology, cell biology, hematology, and cancer investigations. Clinical laboratory directors and their technical staff find the meeting of practical value because of the presentation of new applications that they can take home to their own laboratories. The emphasis of the meeting is on advances in the application of cytometry to clinical problems. Often, advances result from new dyes or reagents or improved instrumentation. Sometimes they result from advances in biology that make the studies possible. Occasionally a new way of looking at the same data provides a useful answer. In every case, the effort is to provide a reliable, straightforward way to quantitate biologic information in order to provide improved diagnosis or treatment of human disease.
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Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection is efficiently transmitted by sexual intercourse, some individuals whose sexual behavior places them at extremely high risk for infection have nevertheless remained HIV-1-seronegative. An investigation was undertaken to determine whether such individuals have circulating T helper cells that are sensitized to HIV-1. Five very high risk men who had recent sexual exposure to HIV-1 were studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all 5 produced interleukin (IL)-2 in culture in response to synthetic amphipathic HIV-1 envelope peptides. One of the 5 high-risk men has subsequently seroconverted, while 4 have remained seronegative. All were initially culture-negative, and those who have remained seronegative were also virus-negative by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing 10 months after they were first studied. These results demonstrate that a cell-mediated immune response to HIV-1 can be detected in the absence of a humoral immune response in individuals recently exposed to HIV-1. Furthermore, IL-2 production by T cells in response to synthetic peptides may be a more sensitive test for exposure to HIV-1 than antibody, lymphoproliferation, or PCR tests.
The interaction between the effects of HIV-1 infection and cigarette smoking on leukocyte profiles was studied in 307 HIV-1 seroconverters in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). Longitudinal data for white blood cell (WBC) counts, WBC differentials, T cell subsets, and smoking behavior were collected semiannually for up to 7 years. Prior to seroconversion, total WBC count increased in direct proportion to daily cigarette consumption, but this effect disappeared within 3 years of seroconversion. Analyses of WBC subsets (lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes) and lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+ and non-T[CD3-]) showed that smoking had only minor effects on the proportions of these cells. In contrast, HIV-1 seroconversion was associated with a dramatic decrease in CD4+ lymphocyte percentage, a large increase in CD8+ lymphocyte percentage, a small increase in total lymphocyte percentage, and small decreases in the non-T lymphocyte and granulocyte percentages. These findings indicate that the effect of smoking on CD4 cell counts is (a) nonspecific, (b) maximal in seronegative individuals; and (c) lost by 3 years after seroconversion. Although the mechanism of the loss of smoking-induced leukocytosis after seroconversion remains to be determined, our results suggest that the effects of smoking are not likely to be important in the clinical use of leukocyte measurements, including measurements of CD4 lymphocytes, in individuals who have been HIV-1 seropositive for more than 3 years.
A method was developed for gentle fixation of mammalian cells and permeabilization of their membranes. The method is useful for staining of intracellular antigens or quantification of DNA content simultaneously with cell surface staining. Cells are treated for 1 h at 4 degrees C with 0.25% buffered paraformaldehyde then for 15 min at 37 degrees C with 0.2% Tween 20 detergent in PBS. The procedure permits excellent staining of intracellular proteins, very low coefficients of variation (CV) on the G0G1-peak of DNA distributions, and preservation of the integrity of cell surface antigens. The low vs. 90 degrees angle light scatter profile of cell clusters is maintained thereby allowing discrimination of different cell populations including human peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes for gating and analytic purposes. The method was successfully used on a variety of other cell types, including human thymocytes, murine thymocytes and spleen cells, and several leukemic cell lines. Dual-color surface antigen staining combined with DNA staining with 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with tetanus toxoid allowed the determination of the cell subset that was preferentially stimulated. Staining for internal antigens was done on CCRF-CEM for expression of CD3 epsilon and on NALM-6 for expression of mu. The technique we developed gave bright and specific staining of internal antigens in the examples presented here. It is particularly suited for correlations of internal antigen staining with DNA staining and/or surface immunofluorescence.
The 5th annual Clinical Applications of Cytometry meeting was held September 12-15, 1990 in charleston, SC. The theme which emerged repeatedly throughout the meeting was the need to take full advantage of the quantitative power of cytometry to provide the most useful clinically relevant diagnostic and prognostic information. Greater quantitative power is based on careful and reproducible standards and quality control. The same principles, albeit with somewhat different approaches, apply to cell surface immunofluorescence analysis, DNA measurements, and image cytometry assessments. Monoclonal antibody probes against oncogenes, others against lymphokines within the Golgi, and a novel fluorogenic substrate designed to quantitate the activity of a mitochondrial enzyme were exciting developments described at the meeting.
Data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) of 1637 gay men, recruited in 1984 and 1985 in Los Angeles and followed at 6-monthly intervals, are used to develop a computer simulation model of the typical pattern of CD4 T-cell number changes in HIV-infected AIDS-free subjects. The empirical model incorporates the following features: (1) within-person and between-person variability in CD4 measurements; (2) variation in the rates of decline of CD4 values; (3) variation in the level of CD4 at which clinical AIDS is diagnosed, and (4) greater absolute variation in CD4 values in men with high CD4 levels compared with men with low CD4 values. Three applications of the model to assist in the design and interpretation of clinical trials are given. Further applications to clinical trials and to estimate the current and future spectrum of HIV-mediated immunological disease in the USA, as measured by the CD4 values, are discussed.
Cytotoxic effector cells like cytotoxic T cells, NK cells, monocytes/macrophages, and neutrophils can lyse directly HIV-infected or HIV-coated cells in the absence or presence of anti-HIV antibodies. Therefore, these cytotoxic mechanisms can be invoked either in the control of HIV infection at early stages of the disease or in the generalized immunosuppression observed at later stages of the disease. The relationship between anti-HIV effector mechanisms and disease, however, remains elusive. The present study investigates in HIV+ seropositive asymptomatic patients peripheral blood monocytes (PBM)-mediated antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against HIV-coated target cells in the presence of heterologous or autologous anti-HIV serum. To test for specific ADCC against HIV Ag, a T4+ CEM.TR line resistant to TNF and macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity was selected in vitro. ADCC was performed in an 18-h 51Cr-release assay using CEM.TR cells coated with inactivated HIV. Unlike PBM from normal controls, significant ADCC was observed by PBM from HIV+ seropositive patients in the presence of pooled HIV+ antiserum. The ADCC activity was specific for HIV and was dependent on the E:T ratio and the antiserum dilution used. Upon activation of PBM with rIFN-gamma, both normal and HIV+ PBM-mediated ADCC against HIV-coated CEM.TR. Furthermore, ADCC activity by PBM from HIV+ seropositive patients in the presence of their autologous serum was examined. Significant ADCC activity was observed and was dependent on the E:T ratio and serum dilution used. The findings demonstrating anti-HIV ADCC activity by PBM from HIV+ seropositive individuals and their autologous sera support the notion that monocyte-mediated ADCC may be operative in vivo.
Infection with human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) has been associated with rare chronic T-cell malignancies and has recently been demonstrated in a significant proportion of American intravenous drug abusers (IVDA). Identification of an HTLV-II-infected cohort of IVDA has allowed analysis of the HTLV-II carrier state. We analyzed clinical, hematologic, and immunologic parameters in 21 HTLV-II-infected IVDA, two HTLV-I-infected IVDA, and 20 uninfected control IVDA identified by serologic screening and by analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An elevated absolute lymphocyte count was observed in 4 of 21 HTLV-II-infected IVDA, 1 of 2 HTLV-I-infected IVDA, and 1 of 20 control IVDA. CD8+ T-cell elevation was observed in three of four HTLV-II IVDA with lymphocytosis and one of two HTLV-I-infected IVDA. Activation of CD8+ T cells in HTLV-II-infected IVDA was suggested by an overall increase in CD8+/HLA-DR+ lymphocytes. Cell fractionation and analysis by PCR of HTLV-II-infected carrier blood showed high levels of HTLV-II provirus in unfractionated PBMC and purified T cells and little or no detectable HTLV-II DNA in B cells or monocytes, indicating that T cells were the most likely target of infection in vivo. The frequency of HTLV-II-infected cells was estimated at approximately 1 in 500 cells or less using dilution analysis by PCR of PBMC DNA. Most HTLV-II-infected IVDA are asymptomatic and have no overt hematologic or immunologic abnormalities, although some manifest benign lymphocytosis.
We evaluated three cellular and five serologic markers that are affected by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) for their ability to predict the progression to clinical acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The cellular markers were the number of CD4+ T cells, the number of CD8+ T cells, and the ratio of CD4+ T cells to CD8+ T cells. The serologic markers were the serum levels of neopterin (a product of stimulated macrophages), beta 2-microglobulin, soluble interleukin-2 receptors, IgA, and HIV p24 antigen. We evaluated the usefulness of these measures as markers of the progression to AIDS prospectively, over four years, in a cohort of 395 HIV-seropositive homosexual men who were initially free of AIDS. CD4+ T cells (expressed as an absolute number, a percentage of lymphocytes, or a ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ T cells) were the best single predictor of the progression to AIDS, but the serum neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin levels each had nearly as much predictive power. The neopterin level appeared to be a slightly better predictor than the beta 2-microglobulin level. The levels of IgA, interleukin-2 receptors, and p24 antigen had less predictive value. A stepwise multivariate analysis indicated that the best predictors, in descending order, were CD4+ T cells (the percentage of lymphocytes or the CD4+: CD8+ ratio), the serum level of neopterin or beta 2-microglobulin, the level of IgA, that of interleukin-2 receptors, and that of p24 antigen. The last three markers had little additional predictive power beyond that of the first two. We conclude that of the eight markers studied, progression to AIDS was predicted most accurately by the level of CD4+ T cells in combination with the serum level of either neopterin or beta 2-microglobulin. At least one of these two serum markers, which reflect immune activation, should be used along with measurement of CD4+ T cells in disease-classification schemes and in the evaluation of responses to therapy.
Since 1984, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) has utilized four flow cytometry laboratories to measure T-lymphocyte subset levels semiannually in a large cohort of homosexual men. This report summarizes the steps taken in the MACS laboratories to attain comparability of lymphocyte subset determinations across the centers and over time. Identical flow cytometers, monoclonal antibodies, and analytic procedures have been used, and over a period of time, the procedure for sample preparation was also standardized. Interlaboratory proficiency testing utilizing identical specimens analyzed in the four laboratories was performed to evaluate the comparability of the data among the laboratories. Our results verify that such testing can identify technical bias in flow cytometric evaluations performed at different laboratories. Temporal laboratory consistency in flow cytometric measurements was evaluated using data from each site's HIV-seronegative homosexual reference group. Both sequential 95% confidence intervals (mean +/- 2 x SEM) and the within-person standard deviations of the immune measurements were considered. Significant variation in CD3, CD4, and CD8 lymphocyte subset percentages over time in the seronegative reference population was observed. Our observations indicate that the lymphocyte subset values of this seronegative group should be used to adjust those obtained on the seropositive study participants during a particular time period, thereby allowing improved discrimination of the effects of HIV on T cells in infected individuals. The data presented are of use for designing epidemiologic and intervention studies in HIV-1-infected individuals, especially for calculating sample sizes. The methods we have used to assess the quality of data in the MACS have general application to quality control programs in flow cytometry laboratories. In particular, comparison of sequential confidence intervals and within-person standard deviations for lymphocyte subset determinations on control populations are essential to a comprehensive proficiency testing program because they permit assessment of consistency within a laboratory over time.
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The goal of finding an effective vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is hampered by our uncertainty of the mechanism(s) responsible for the pathogenesis as well as the lack of knowledge of protective mechanisms. The effects of HIV on the immune system are myriad and thus the truly significant manifestations of the pathology are difficult to dissociate from those more peripheral. In this article we will initially characterize the natural history of HIV infection which shows a chronic and perhaps inexorable course. The second part will deal with the immune response mounted against this assault and the final section is a discussion of the possible unfavorable consequences of the immune response that humans muster against this agent.
Twelve patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma were treated with recombinant human gamma-interferon (rIFN-gamma). A rapid, substantial increase in the fraction of HLA-DQ-positive monocytes was noted after treatment with rIFN-gamma. The rIFN-gamma-induced increase in monocyte HLA-DQ was seen throughout the course of treatment, with the percentage of HLA-DQ-positive monocytes dropping slightly following each week's treatment with rIFN-gamma and then rapidly increasing following the next course of treatment. Although the percentage of HLA-DR-positive monocytes was unchanged (HLA-DR was expressed on greater than 80% of monocytes prior to treatment), the density of HLA-DR on monocytes also increased following rIFN-gamma treatment. Following rIFN-gamma treatment, no changes were seen in CD3, CD4, CD8 T cell numbers, in T cell subset ratio (CD4/CD8), in Leu 7 or CD16 (Leu 11) cell number, in spontaneous Ig secretion, in PHA-induced in vitro proliferation, or in NK activity. These results indicate that exposure to rIFN-gamma in vivo led to the increased expression of class II antigens on monocytes in patients with AIDS.
The activity of both serum and effector cell antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1, HIV) was assessed in HIV-infected individuals. The goal was to relate ADCC levels with the stage or progression of HIV disease. Serial serum samples, usually collected at 6-month intervals, from individuals at defined stages of HIV disease (seroconversion, the HIV-seropositive period before AIDS, and around the time of clinical AIDS diagnosis) were tested. HIV-coated CEM tumor cells were used as targets. Effector-cell ADCC activity was evaluated using fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV-infected individuals at different stages of HIV disease. Samples were obtained from male homosexual participants in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). In seroconverters, ADCC-inducing HIV-specific antibodies were detected at the time that the ELISA antibody test was first positive. Within several months, serum ADCC activity stabilized in each individual. In 29 HIV-seroprevalent individuals (HIV seropositive on their first visit), serum ADCC activity remained constant regardless of whether the individual's HIV disease was stable (high stable CD4; n = 9) or rapidly deteriorating (sharply declining CD4, n = 10; AIDS progressors, n = 10). With respect to effector-cell activity, PBMC from HIV-infected individuals with or without AIDS were capable of mediating ADCC with heterologous and usually with autologous sera. Although the level of NK cytotoxic activity and the level of antibody-armed effector cell activity have been reported to decline as disease progresses, our results support previous observations that ADCC effector-cell activity against antibody-coated targets does not decline in HIV infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
This study investigated whether seroconversion with respect to human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) was associated with an increase in lymphocytes expressing the CD3+CD4-CD8- phenotype. Proportions and absolute numbers of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes were determined prospectively over a 2.5-year period on 4954 homosexual and/or bisexual men participating in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Of the 4808 men whose serostatus at entry could be verified, 1745 were seropositive (SP) for antibodies to HIV-1 at entry into study, 2795 were uniformly seronegative (SN) for HIV-1 for 30 months, and 268 were seroconverters (SC) with respect to HIV-1 during this period. For each of six semiannual evaluations, proportions and numbers of CD3+CD4-CD8- lymphocytes (calculated as CD3- (CD4 + CD8] were both significantly greater in the SP group than in the SN group (P less than 0.001). Mean CD3+CD4-CD8- levels in the SC group were indistinguishable from those in the SN group before seroconversion, but by 3-9 months after seroconversion the SC group demonstrated absolute numbers of CD3+CD4-CD8- lymphocytes which were significantly increased (P less than 0.001) compared to the SN group using linear regression methods with adjustment for correlation of measurements within an individual over time. An additional significant increase occurred by 21-27 months after seroconversion (P = 0.006). These results are consistent with an association of HIV-1 seroconversion with an increase in circulating T lymphocytes expressing the CD3+CD4-CD8- phenotype (double negative T cells), a decrease in CD3-CD4-CD8+ natural killer cells, or both. An increase in double negative T cells could reflect a host defense mechanism against HIV-1 or effects of HIV-1 on T cell development.