Dendritic cells in MDS and AML - cause, effect or solution to the immune pathogenesis of disease?

• Published in: Leukemia Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 354 - 357
• Main Author: PANOSKALTSIS, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing 01.03.2005; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Clone Cells - immunology; Clone Cells - pathology; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - immunology; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Medical sciences; Myelodysplastic Syndromes - immunology; Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms - therapy; Pathogenesis; Dendritic cell; Hematology; Antigen presenting cell; Pathogenesis; Acute; Malignant hemopathy; Myelodysplastic syndrome; Acute myelocytic leukemia
• ISSN: 0887-6924; 1476-5551
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.leu.2403634

Natural killer (NK) cells and plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) are depleted, and their function impaired, in advanced adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)1 infection. Studies in perinatally infected children are lacking. Percentages of NK cells and plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forty children with perinatal HIV-1 infection were compared with 11 age-matched, uninfected children. Plasmacytoid and myeloid DC function was evaluated by activation-induced cytokine secretion. Virally suppressed children had normal levels of circulating plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs and total NK cells but had sustained depletion of a mature (CD3-/161+/56+/16+) NK cell subset and decreased interferon- secretion by plasmacytoid DCs. Despite similar viral loads, percentages of myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs and mature NK cells were significantly lower in viremic children with a history of decreasing CD4+ cell percentages, compared with children with stable CD4+ cell counts. Children achieve partial reconstitution of myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs and NK cells during viral suppression; irrespective of viral load, a clinical history of decreasing CD4+ cell percentage is associated with greater depletion of these subsets. We hypothesize that the evaluation of selected innate-immunity effector cells may serve as a marker of CD4+ cell loss in pediatric HIV-1 infection.