Envejecimiento e influencia de la inversión del cociente CD4/CD8 en la incidencia de las comorbilidades y mortalidad de una cohorte de pacientes infectados por el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana / Aging and influence of inversion of the CD4: CD8 ratio in the incidence of co-morbidities and mortality in a cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Fundamentos y objetivo. La inversión del cociente CD4/CD8 como indicador de inmunosenescencia puede ser un factor que permita anunciar el riesgo de presentar comorbilidades. Estudiamos la influencia del envejecimiento y de la inversión del cociente CD4/CD8 en la incidencia de comorbilidades y de mortalidad en la cohorte del Hospital Severo Ochoa. Métodos: Analizamos las diferencias en las tasas de incidencia de las comorbilidades ajustadas por la edad y evaluamos la inversión del cociente CD4/CD8 como factor de riesgo para la mortalidad y para el desarrollo de comorbilidades. Resultados: La edad se asoció a un incremento en la tasa de incidencia de diabetes mellitus, fracturas, EPOC y neoplasias no asociadas a sida. Encontramos un mayor riesgo de la tasa de incidencia de episodios clínicos no asociados a sida (OR 2,25; IC 95% 1,025-4,94) y episodios asociados a sida (OR 3,48; IC 95% 1,58-7,64) en los individuos con el cociente CD4/CD8 < 0,7. También los pacientes con un cociente CD4/CD8 < 0,7 presentaron una mayor riesgo de mortalidad (OR 5,96; IC 95% 0,73-48,40). Conclusión: Es importante detectar y prevenir comorbilidades no asociadas a sida en presencia del cociente CD4/CD8 < 0,7 (AU)

Background and objective: It has been postulated that the inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio as a hallmark of immunosenescence can be an independent factor that can herald the risk of co-morbidities. We studied the influence of aging and inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio in the incidence of comorbidities and mortality in the cohort of Hosptital Severo Ochoa. Methods: We analyzed the differences in the incidence rates of age-adjusted morbidities and evaluated the inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio as predictor of mortality and development of comorbidities. Results: Age was associated with an increased incidence rate of diabetes mellitus, fractures, COPD and non-AIDS malignancies. We found an increased incidence rate of non-AIDS clinical events (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.025-4.94) and AIDS events (OR 3.48; 95% CI 1.58-7.64) in individuals with CD4:CD8 ratio < 0.7. Moreover, patients with a CD4:CD8 ratio < 0.7 ratio had a higher risk of mortality (OR 5.96; 95% CI 0.73 to 48.40). Conclusion: It is important to detect and prevent non-AIDS comorbidities in the presence of a CD4:CD8 ratio < 0.7 (AU)

Is HIV becoming more virulent? Initial CD4 cell counts among HIV seroconverters during the course of the HIV epidemic: 1985-2007.

BACKGROUND: Whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconverters have been presenting with progressively lower CD4 cell counts over the course of the HIV epidemic is controversial. Additional data on whether HIV might have become more virulent on a population level (measured by post-seroconversion CD4 cell counts) may provide important insights regarding HIV pathogenesis. METHODS: To determine whether post-seroconversion CD4 cell counts have changed over time, we evaluated 2174 HIV seroconverters as part of a large cohort study during the period 1985-2007. Participants were documented antiretroviral-naive HIV seroconverters who had a CD4 cell count measured within 6 months after receiving a diagnosis of HIV infection. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess trends in initial CD4 cell counts. RESULTS: The mean initial CD4 cell count decreased during the study period from 632 cells/mm(3) in 1985-1990 to 553 cells/mm(3) in 1991-1995, 493 cells/mm(3) in 1996-2001, and 514 cells/mm(3) in 2002-2007. During those periods, the percentages of seroconverters with an initial CD4 cell count <350 cells/mm(3) were 12%, 21%, 26%, and 25%, respectively. In the multiple linear model, the mean decrease in CD4 cell count from 1985-1990 was 65 cells/mm(3) in 1991-1995 (P < .001)), 107 cells/mm(3) in 1996-2001 (P < .001), and 102 cells/mm(3) in 2002-2007 (P < .001). Similar trends occurred with regard to CD4 cell percentage and total lymphocyte count. Similar decreases in initial CD4 cell counts were observed among African American and white persons during the epidemic. DISCUSSION: A significant decrease in initial CD4 cell counts among HIV seroconverters in the United States has occurred during the HIV epidemic. These data provide an important clinical correlate to suggestions that HIV may have adapted to the host, resulting in a more virulent infection.

Utility of flow cytometry immunophenotyping and DNA ploidy studies for diagnosis and characterization of blood involvement in CD4+ Sézary's syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The exact immunophenotypic criteria for the identification of Sézary cells in the blood are still poorly defined. DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed the immunophenotype and DNA cell content of blood T cells in a series of 18 consecutive cases of Sézary's syndrome (SS), 21 normal individuals and 10 patients with reactive erythroderma, and correlated them with molecular and morphological findings. RESULTS: Phenotypically abnormal CD3+/TCRalphabeta+/CD4+ T cells were found in all SS patients but in none of the reactive erythroderma cases; small diploid, or less frequently hypodiploid Sézary's cells coexisted with large nearly tetraploid Sézary's cells in some cases. The most frequent phenotypic aberrations consisted in decreased expression of CD3/TCRalphabeta (94%), CD4 (94%), CD7 (100%) and/or CD2 (83%). In addition, Sézary's cells were constantly CD28+ and CD5+ and they did not express natural-killer associated (NKa) antigens. Phenotypic heterogeneity was a common finding and phenotypic changes over time were frequently observed. In contrast to what was found in patients with reactive erythroderma, flow cytometry analysis of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire revealed a major TCR-Vbeta expansion in all SS cases. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The presence of CD28+/CD5+/NKa-/CD4+ T cells expressing abnormally low levels of CD3, TCRalphabeta, CD4, CD7 and/or CD2 would support the diagnosis of SS in patients with erythroderma. Further analyses on larger series of patients are necessary in order to cover less frequent phenotypic patterns, establish the preferential usage of specific TCR-Vb families and investigate the specificity of these phenotypic abnormalities for diagnosing SS.