Persistence of immune activation in lymphocytes of HIV-exposed no infected newborns, children and adolescents

• Grant number: 10/09701-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Maria Isabel de Moraes Pinto
• Grantee: Maria Isabel de Moraes Pinto
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Regina Célia de Menezes Succi

Abstract

The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnancy, peripartum and early life has reduced vertical transmission of HIV infection and has thus contributed to the increase in the number of vertically HIV exposed no infected children (ENI). Although most children who were born to HIV-infected mothers and received antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy show no clinical symptoms, immunologic alterations have been described in newborns and infants, such as a reduced number of CD4+ T and B cells, a higher state of immune activation and alteration in the maturation of T lymphocytes. Recently, we found that ENI children and adolescents had higher apoptosis on B cells and reduced CD4+ T cell counts. Moreover, nucleoside reverse transcriptases inhibitors (NRTIs) to which children are exposed during pregnancy are known to produce mitochondrial toxicity. However, it is unclear whether these alterations persist into adulthood. Taken into consideration the clinical and laboratory abnormalities that have been observed in ENI children, we intend to evaluate the persistence of immune activation in lymphocytes of pediatric patients. Frozen samples from 60 ENI individuals in three age groups (cord blood, 12 months, 6-12 years) will be evaluated and compared with 65 healthy individuals age matched no ENI exposed, and 34 HIV-infected children and adolescents with 6 -12 years. Frozen cells will be marked for evaluation of immune activation (CD38, HLA-DR) in different subpopulations. The bacterial translocation will be evaluated through the quantification of plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and soluble CD14. The results from this study may provide additional evidence that will support the follow-up and further investigation of these individuals. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MIYAMOTO, MARISTELA; GOUVEA, AIDA F. T. B.; ONO, ERIKA; SUCCI, REGINA CELIA M.; PAHWA, SAVITA; DE MORAES-PINTO, MARIA ISABEL. Immune development in HIV-exposed uninfected children born to HIV-infected women. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, v. 59, 2017. (10/09701-3, 10/09738-4)