Increased CD38 expression on T lymphocytes as a marker of HIV dissemination into the central nervous system

Abstract

Cross-sectional analysis on 20 HIV-1 patients with neurological symptoms admitted to two infectious disease units. Cut-off of HIV–RNA (VL) was 20 copies/ml for plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Flow cytometry was used to analyze the phenotype of circulating and CSF T lymphocytes. CD38 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) was higher on circulating CD4⁺T lymphocytes from patients with VL >20 copies/ml in plasma (P =  0.001) or CSF (P =  0.001). The frequency of circulating CD8⁺CD38⁺T cells and CD38 MFI on these cells were higher in patients with VL >20 copies/ml than in those with undetectable plasma VL (P =  0.030 and P =  0.023). The frequency of CSF CD4⁺CD38⁺T, as well as their CD38 and CD95 MFI, were increased in patients with detectable than non-detectable plasma VL (P =  0.01, P =  0.03, and P =  0.05). The % CD38⁺CD8⁺T in CSF correlated with time of virological suppression (ρ =  − 0.462, P =  0.040) and the CNS penetration-effectiveness (CPE) score (ρ =  − 0.467, P = 0.038). In conclusion, (a) the expression of CD38⁺ on both CD4⁺, CD8⁺T lymphocytes from peripheral blood and CSF discriminated between viremic and non-viremic patients and (b) T cell activation/apoptosis markers inversely correlated with CPE to remark the importance for therapy to restore immunological functions.

Keywords:

• CD38
• T lymphocytes
• HIV
• Cerebrospinal fluid