Beckerman KP, King CG, McCune JM; Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

Program Abstr 8th Conf Retrovir Oppor Infect Conf Retrovir Oppor Infect 8th 2001 Chic Ill. 2001 Feb 4-8; 8: 257 (abstract no. 706).

Univ of California, San Francisco.

Background: Fetal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) express a naive (CD45RO- CCR5-) immunophenotype which is not thought to be susceptible to infection by M-tropic, R5-utilizing virus most often associated with vertical transmission of HIV-1. We examined the hypothesis that chorioamnionitis renders the fetus susceptible to perinatal HIV-1 infection via immune activation- associated induction of CCR5 expression by fetal PBMC. Methods: We performed immunostaining with FACS analysis of fresh PBMC from placental cord blood collected after delivery by elective cesarean section (ECSx) (n = 3), normal (NSVD) (n = 3) or chorioamnionitis (n = 6). Cells were analyzed for surface expression of CD4, CD25, CD45RO, CD69, CXCR4, and CCR5. Results: Fetal peripheral blood lymphocytes expressed CXCR4 at levels similar to those of adults in all samples studied. Among fetuses experiencing no labor or normal labor (ECSx/NSVD), CD25, CD45RO, CD69, CCR5, expression were all markedly lower than adult controls. Chorioamnionitis was associated with marked expansion of the CD45RO+ memory T cell compartment and induction of early and late markers of immune activation. CCR5 expression was significantly different between ECSx/NSVD (1.83% +/- 0.2 SE of CD4+ fetal lymphocytes) and chorioamnionitis (14.9% +/- 3.9 SE of CD4+ fetal lymphocytes) groups (P < 0.002 by Mann Whitney non-parametric analysis). Conclusion: Chorioamnionitis is associated with detectable immune activation of fetal lymphocytes and induction of an immunophenotype associated with increased susceptibility to infection by M- tropic/R5-utilizing HIV-1. We suggest that ECSx may protect fetuses from perinatal HIV-1 infection by prevention of chorioamnionitis-associated increased CCR5 expression and immune activation of fetal tissues.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Adult
• Antigens, CD
• Antigens, CD4
• Antigens, CD45
• Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
• CD69 antigen
• Chemokine CCL5
• Chemokines
• Chemokines, CC
• Chorioamnionitis
• Female
• Fetus
• Gene Expression
• HIV-1
• Humans
• Pregnancy
• Receptors, CCR5
• Receptors, CXCR4
• Receptors, Chemokine
• T-Lymphocytes
• genetics
• immunology

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0006995

UI: 102244491

From Meeting Abstracts