B-cell and T-cell activation in South African HIV-1-positive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients

• Published in: Southern African journal of HIV medicine Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Bouic, Patrick, Sissolak, Gerhard, Flepisi, Brian T., Rosenkranz, Bernd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: South Africa AOSIS 2018; African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; Southern African HIV Clinicians Society
• Subjects: Age; Antigens; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; B cells; B-cell activation; Biology; Biomarkers; Cancer therapies; CD38 antigen; CD8 antigen; Cell activation; Chemotherapy; Cytokines; Drug therapy; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Fibrosis; Flow cytometry; Foxp3 protein; Gender; Health aspects; Health Care Sciences & Services; Health Policy & Services; HIV; HIV patients; HIV-1 infection; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immunology; Infections; Leukemia; Lymph nodes; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes B; Lymphocytes T; Lymphoma; Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; Original Research; Pathogenesis; Regulation; Sample size; Serum levels; T cells; T-cell activation; South Africa
• ISSN: 1608-9693; 2078-6751; 2078-6751
• DOI: 10.4102/sajhivmed.v19i1.809

Background: Altered immune mechanisms play a critical role in the pathogenesis of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). HIV-1 (HIV) infection is associated with a state of excessive T-cell activation, which can lead to increased T-cell turnover and lymph node fibrosis.Objectives: This study aimed to determine the serum levels of circulating B-cell activation markers, and the expression of T-cell activation and regulatory markers in HIV-positive NHL patients.Method: The serum levels of circulating soluble(s) sCD20, sCD23, sCD27, sCD30 and sCD44 molecules, all of which are biomarkers of B-cell activation, were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), while biomarkers of T-cell activation (CD8+CD38+) and regulation (FoxP3) were determined by flow cytometry in 141 subjects who were divided into five groups: Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-positive patients; ARTtreated HIV-positive patients; HIV-negative NHL patients; HIV-positive NHL patients on ART; and healthy controls.Results: HIV-positive NHL patients had significantly higher serum levels of sCD20, sCD23, sCD30 and sCD44 than HIV-negative NHL patients, while all five biomarkers were significantly elevated in HIV-positive NHL patients when compared with ART-treated HIV-positive patients. HIV-positive NHL patients had higher CD8+CD38+ and lower FoxP3 expression than HIV-negative NHL and ART-treated HIV-positive patients.Conclusion: B-cell activation is increased in HIV-positive NHL patients and is associated with reduced regulatory T-cell populations and increased CD8+ T-cell activation.