[Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-receptors expression in mononuclear leucocytes (ML) of HIV+ patients]

Variations of the expression of CXCR4 and CCR5 HIV co-receptors after non stimulated culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV+ patients were studied. Expression of CCR5 on both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes was reduced after 7 days and remained low throughout the culture. CXCR4 levels remained stable in both lymphocyte subpopulations. No significant changes were observed in control HIV- PBMC cultures. In order to ascertain if the CCR5 changes were associated to in vitro HIV replication, 6 days pre-cultured HIV- PBMC were infected with HIV+ culture supernatants. After 3 days CCR5 expression was reduced both in CD4+ and in CD8+ T lymphocytes, while CXCR4 expression was not, coincident with initiation of HIV replication in culture. These results suggest that CCR5 down modulation in CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocytes is a consequence of HIV replication.