Elevated granzyme B⁺ B-cell level in SIV-infection correlate with viral load and low CD4 T-cell count.

ABSTRACT: Granzyme B-expressing (GrB⁺) B cells are thought to contribute to immune dysfunctions in HIV patients, but so far their exact role is unknown. This report demonstrates for the first time the existence of GrB⁺ B cells in SIV-infected rhesus macaques, which represent the most commonly used nonhuman primate model for HIV research. Similar to HIV patients, we found significantly higher frequencies of these cells in the blood of chronically SIV-infected rhesus monkeys compared with uninfected healthy ones. These frequencies correlated with plasma viral load and inversely with absolute CD4 T-cell counts. When investigating GrB⁺ B cells in different compartments, levels were highest in blood, spleen and bone marrow, but considerably lower in lymph nodes and tonsil

SUBMITTER: Kotb A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5364320 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature