Important note: Information in this article was accurate in July 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.AIDSWEEKLY Plus; July 29, 2002
Michael Greer, Senior Medical Writer
"Increased expression of CD38 on CD8+ T cells is associated with activation of the immune system, progression of HIV disease, and death in adults," explained Dr. Gayle G. Sherman and colleagues at the South African Institute for Medical Research, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and Columbia University in New York City. "The prognostic significance of these cells in HIV-infected children, where the picture is complicated by age-related differences in CD38 expression, remains controversial."
Heightened CD38 expression by CD8 cells portends similarly poor outcomes in HIV+ children as it does in infected adults, Sherman and coauthors found.
The researchers used quantitative flow cytometry to measure the degree of CD38 expression by CD8 cells from vertically infected children and uninfected controls. CD38 expression was significantly higher on CD8 cells from pediatric HIV patients compared with healthy children, they said.
Moreover, children in advanced disease states showed a tendency toward more extensive CD38 expression than those with comparatively mild infections, study data showed. A heightened proportion of CD8 cells expressing CD38 was associated with a significant rise in the mortality risk during the first year of infection.
The ages of the study participants were not significantly different between clinical groups (CD38 expression on CD8+ T cells as a prognostic marker in vertically HIV-infected pediatric patients, Pediatr Res 2002 Jun;51(6):740-5).
"These findings support the view that increased CD38 expression on CD8+ T cells has the same prognostic significance in pediatric as in adult HIV disease," Sherman and colleagues concluded.
The corresponding author for this report is Gayle G. Sherman, PO Box 79722, Senderwood, 2145, Johannesburg, South Africa. E-mail: gayles@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za.
Key points reported in this study include:
This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
020729
AW020713
Copyright © 2002 - Charles Henderson, Publisher. All rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce granted to AEGIS by Charles W. Henderson. Authorization to reproduce for personal use granted granted by C. W. Henderson, Publisher, provided that the fee of US$4.50 per copy, per page is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, USA. Published by Charles Henderson, Publisher. Editorial & Publishing Office: P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528 / Telephone: (800) 633-4931; Subscription Office: P.O. Box 830409, Birmingham, AL 35283-0409 / FAX: (205) 995-1588 http://www.newsrx.net
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, iMetrikus, Inc., the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright © 1980,2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.