Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
In Vitro Assay to Evaluate the Impact of Immunoregulatory Pathways on HIV-specific CD4 T Cell Effector Function
Published on: October 15, 2013
[A pulmonary cellular immunity study in HIV patients]
E Fernández Fabrellas1, E González Constán, M Marín González
1Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Dr. Peset Aleixandre, Valencia.
Insights
HIV infection impairs cellular immunity, particularly T CD4 lymphocytes, more severely in the lungs than in the blood. Pulmonary T CD4 depletion can be predicted by blood T CD4 levels in HIV patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Cellular immunity, marked by low T CD4 lymphocyte counts, indicates HIV progression.
- Pulmonary T CD4 lymphocyte levels and CD4/CD8 ratios are diminished in HIV patients.
- The cause of high pulmonary disease incidence in HIV patients (local vs. systemic immunity) is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare systemic immune disorders in blood samples with local immune responses in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from HIV-infected patients.
- To investigate the extent of cellular immunity impairment in the lungs versus the blood of HIV patients.
Main Methods:
- Studied 74 HIV patients hospitalized with acute respiratory disease.
- Utilized fiberoptic bronchoscopy for diagnosis.
- Compared cellular and lymphocytic populations using flow cytometry in blood and BAL samples.
Main Results:
- Total lymphocyte percentages and CD4+ populations were decreased in BAL samples.
- This decrease was more pronounced in patients with blood CD4 levels below 25%.
Conclusions:
- HIV infection causes a greater cellular immunity disorder in the lungs than in the blood.
- Pulmonary T CD4+ lymphocyte depletion can be predicted by their blood levels.
Background:
Cellular immunity disorder, showed by a decreased blood level of lymphocytes T CD4, is the main indicator of progression in HIV infection. The diminished level of these lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 ratio in pulmonary samples obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is known, so as the enhanced level of lymphocytes T CD8, while the pulmonary diseases high incidence in these patients could be due to a local immunity disorder or systemic one remains unknown. The aim of this study is to compare systemic immunity disorders, studied in blood samples, with local immunity replay, showed by BAL samples, in patients with HIV infection.
Methods:
74 HIV patients were studied, all of them hospitalized due to acute respiratory disease, and undergone to fiberoptic bronchoscopy for diagnosing. Cellular and lymphocytic populations are compared and measured by flow cytometry in blood and BAL samples.
Results:
Percentage of total lymphocytes and CD4+ population were decreased in BAL samples, above all in patients with CD4 level minor than 25%.
Conclusions:
Cellular immunity disorder of patients with HIV infection is bigger in lung than in blood. It's possible to foresee the lymphocytes T CD4+ pulmonary depletion from their blood levels.
More Related Videos
08:14An In Vitro Model for Measuring Immune Responses to Malaria in the Context of HIV Co-infection
Published on: October 6, 2015
07:21Processing of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Matched Blood for Alveolar Macrophage and CD4+ T-cell Immunophenotyping and HIV Reservoir Assessment
Published on: June 23, 2019