ANALYSIS OF GAMMA-DELTA+ T-CELLS IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF CHILDREN WITH PERINATAL HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION

The present study examined CD8 antigen expression and variable (V) gene segment usage by T cell receptor (TCR)-gammadelta+ lymphocytes in peripheral blood of symptomatic children with perinatal HIV infection. The relative number of gammadelta+, CD8+ T cells in most of the infected children was higher than that in uninfected children from HIV+ or HIV- mothers and correlated with the immunodeficiency status of the patients. Infected infants and children over 1 year old also showed an increased proportion of Vdelta1-Jdelta1+ T lymphocytes. CD8 expression on those cells was higher in infected than in uninfected infants and children. Sequence analysis of the delta gene rearrangement of the predominant Vdelta1 family in peripheral blood of three HIV+ donors revealed extensive junctional diversity. These results suggest that the Vdelta skewing in the majority of HIV+ children reflects peripheral expansion of Vdelta1-Jdelta1+ T lymphocytes early in life, which might be involved in the mechanisms of HIV-induced immunodeficiency.