Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
Published on: November 1, 2010
CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells as a prognostic marker in vertically HIV-infected pediatric patients
Gayle G Sherman1, Lesley E Scott, Jacqueline S Galpin
1Department of Haematology and Molecular Medicine, School of Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg, South Africa. gayles@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za
Insights
Increased CD38 on CD8(+) T cells predicts mortality in pediatric HIV. Quantifying this immune marker offers prognostic value in children, similar to adults, aiding disease management.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Increased CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells correlates with immune activation, HIV progression, and mortality in adults.
- The prognostic role of CD38 on CD8(+) T cells in pediatric HIV infection is less clear due to age-related expression variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prognostic significance of quantifying CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells in vertically HIV-infected children.
- To determine if CD38 expression levels predict disease severity and mortality in pediatric HIV.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of cell surface CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells using flow cytometry in vertically HIV-infected children (mild and severe disease) and HIV-negative controls.
- Age-matched cohort design with baseline and 1-year follow-up measurements.
- Statistical analysis to compare CD38 levels and assess predictive value for mortality.
Main Results:
- HIV-infected children showed significantly higher CD38 measurements compared to HIV-negative controls.
- Children with severe HIV disease tended to have higher CD38 levels than those with mild disease.
- Elevated CD38(+)CD8(+) T cells were significant predictors of mortality within one year.
Conclusions:
- Quantifying CD38 on CD8(+) T cells is a valuable prognostic tool in pediatric HIV infection.
- Increased CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells carries similar prognostic significance in pediatric HIV as observed in adult HIV disease.
- This measurement can aid in assessing disease progression and predicting outcomes in children with HIV.
Abstract:
Increased expression of CD38 on CD8(+) T cells is associated with activation of the immune system, progression of HIV disease, and death in adults. The prognostic significance of these cells in HIV-infected children, where the picture is complicated by age-related differences in CD38 expression, remains controversial. Measuring the unimodal expression of CD38 on CD8(+) T cells in adults and children by flow cytometry is best accomplished by quantitating the antigen on the cell surface. To our knowledge, this technique has not previously been reported in a pediatric population. Vertically HIV-infected children were age matched for mild (n = 26) and severe (n = 23) clinical disease. Eleven age-matched HIV-negative controls were included for comparison. Quantitation of CD38 on CD8(+) T cells was performed at baseline and 1 y later. The ages of the children in the three clinical groups did not differ significantly (p = 0.6004). HIV-infected children had significantly increased CD38 measurements in comparison with the HIV-negative controls (p = 0.0131), and the severe disease group tended to have higher measurements than the mild disease group. Increased CD38(+)CD8(+) T cells were significant predictors of death within the first year (p = 0.043). 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.
