Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Multiparameter evaluation of human thymic function: interpretations and caveats.

Jeffrey M Harris1, Mette D Hazenberg, Jean-François Poulin

  • 1Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA.

Clinical Immunology (Orlando, Fla.)
|May 12, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The 2024 EBMT activity report: crossing one million HCTs and 20,000 CAR-T. A landmark in cellular therapy.

Bone marrow transplantation·2026
Same author

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of a cardiac myeloid sarcoma with superimposed thrombus.

European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging·2026
Same author

Humoral and cellular immune response after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with sickle cell disease on hydroxyurea.

Blood advances·2026
Same author

Legionella Pneumonia in the Modern Era: Clinical Features and Predictors of Mortality.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2026
Same author

Humoral and cellular immune response after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with sickle cell disease on hydroxyurea.

Blood advances·2025
Same author

Meeting Summary for Keystone Symposia on HIV Cure: Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)-Free Control of HIV Infection in Durban, South Africa, 2025.

Pathogens & immunity·2025
Same journal

EIF4A3/ALKBH5 axis promotes meningioma cell growth, invasion, and resistance to CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell-mediated cytotoxicity by inducing M2 polarization.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

A novel JAK1 mutation identified in a patient with severe atopic dermatitis phenotype: Mechanistic insights and IL-4Rα targeted therapy.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

VNN1 aggravates sepsis by promoting inflammation and oxidative stress through PPARγ signaling VNN1 in sepsis.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

Comparison between glioblastoma and brain metastases: How epigenetic remodeling can enhance immunotherapy.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

JAK-STAT3-MYC axis defines pathogenic stem cell-like memory CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells in rheumatoid arthritis.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

The baseline vaginal immune milieu is an important determinant of the inflammatory response induced by penile-vaginal sex.

Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)·2026
See all related articles
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) improves CD4+ T cells in HIV-1 patients. However, HIV infection persistently reduces naive T cells, despite increased T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) and thymic function.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increases CD4+ T cells in HIV-1-infected adults.
  • Immune reconstitution following HAART involves complex thymic and T cell dynamics.
  • Understanding thymic function is crucial for managing HIV-1 infection and immune recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors influencing immune reconstitution in virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected adults.
  • To assess thymic abundance, naive CD4+ T cell counts, and T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) in HIV-1-infected individuals.
  • To correlate these measures with age and immune status.

Main Methods:

  • CT scans for thymic abundance measurement.
  • Flow cytometry for quantifying circulating naive-phenotype CD4+ T cells.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Quantitative PCR for measuring T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs).
  • Comparison between 40 HIV-1-infected adults and 33 age-matched HIV-uninfected controls.

    • Main Results:

    • In HIV-uninfected individuals, naive T cell numbers, thymic abundance, and TREC frequency decreased with age.
    • Naive T cell numbers significantly correlated with TREC frequencies when adjusted for age.
    • HIV-1-infected subjects exhibited higher TREC frequencies and, if over 39, more abundant thymus.
    • Despite these factors, all HIV-1-infected subjects had reduced absolute naive T cell numbers.

    Conclusions:

    • Age-related decline in thymic function and T cell parameters is observed in healthy adults.
    • HIV-1 infection is associated with altered TREC frequencies and potentially preserved thymic function in certain age groups.
    • Reduced naive T cell numbers in HIV-1-infected individuals persist regardless of thymic size, age, or TREC levels.
    • Further research is needed for more precise assessment of thymic function in HIV-1 management.