02778nas a2200421   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653001800065653003100083653003100114653002500145653002000170653001100190653001900201653001000220653001100230653002300241653001800264653001200282653002600294653000900320653001600329653001500345653002500360653001500385100001600400700001300416700001200429700001600441700001400457700001400471245009900485300001100584490000800595520173900603022001402342       2008                            d  c2008 Jun10aAdult10aCD4-CD8 Ratio10aCD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes10aCD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes10aCell Differentiation10aDendritic Cells10aFemale10aHIV Infections10aHIV-110aHumans10aImmunity, Cellular10aInterleukin-410aleprosy10aLymphocyte Activation10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRNA, Viral10aT-Lymphocyte Subsets10aViral Load1 aCarvalho KI1 aMaeda SM1 aMarti L1 aYamashita J1 aHaslett P1 aKallas EG00aImmune cellular parameters of leprosy and human immunodeficiency virus-1 co-infected subjects.  a206-140 v1243 a<p>Leprosy and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) are examples of human infections where interactions between the pathogen and the host cellular immunity determine the clinical manifestations of disease. Hence, a significant immunopathological interaction between HIV-1 and leprosy might be expected. In the present study we explored several aspects of cellular immunity in patients co-infected with HIV-1 and Mycobacterium leprae. Twenty-eight individuals were studied, comprising four groups: healthy controls, HIV-1 and M. leprae co-infection, HIV-1 mono-infection, and M. leprae mono-infection. Subjects in the mono-infection and co-infection groups were matched as far as possible for bacillary load and HIV disease status, as appropriate. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were analysed using six- and seven-colour flow cytometry to evaluate T-cell subpopulations and their activation status, dendritic cell (DC) distribution phenotypes and expression of IL-4 by T cells. The co-infected group exhibited lower CD4 : CD8 ratios, higher levels of CD8(+) T-cell activation, increased V delta : V delta 2 T cell ratios and decreased percentages of plasmacytoid DC, compared with HIV-1 mono-infected subjects. Across infected groups, IL-4 production by CD4(+) T lymphocytes was positively correlated with the percentage of effector memory CD4(+) T cells, suggesting antigenically driven differentiation of this population of T cells in both HIV-1 and M. leprae infections. Co-infection with M. leprae may exacerbate the immunopathology of HIV-1 disease. A T helper 2 (Th2) bias in the CD4(+) T-cell response was evident in both HIV-1 infection and leprosy, but no additive effect was apparent in co-infected patients.</p>  a1365-2567