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. 1993 Jun;92(3):437–441. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb03417.x

T cell receptor V beta repertoire in HIV-infection individuals: lack of evidence for selective V beta deletion.

V Boyer 1, L R Smith 1, F Ferre 1, P Pezzoli 1, R J Trauger 1, F C Jensen 1, D J Carlo 1
PMCID: PMC1554770  PMID: 8099857

Abstract

The gradual decline of CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV-infected individuals culminates in the lethal immunosuppression of AIDS. The mechanism of CD4+ T cell loss is currently unknown, but has recently been suggested to occur as a result of an HIV-encoded superantigen which facilitates a selective deletion of T cells expressing specific V beta genes. To verify and extend such observations, peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) from 15 HIV+ individuals, 10 of which had very low CD4 T cell counts (< 200/mm3), were analysed for T cell receptor (TCR) V beta gene expression. In contrast to a recent study, the results presented here fail to provide evidence that selective loss of V beta-bearing T cells occurs in HIV+ individuals. Furthermore, when PBL from HIV+ individuals were stimulated with Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), T cells expressing V beta subfamilies known to engage this superantigen were expanded, indicating that such cells were not deleted and were responsive to stimulation by a bacterial superantigen. Collectively, these data suggest that CD4 loss in HIV patients does not occur in a V beta-selective, superantigen-mediated fashion.

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Selected References

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