A Preliminary Study Of The Mechanisms Of CD4~+T Cell Reduction In The Chronic Phase Of HIV-1 Infection: Apoptosis Or Pyroptosis?

Objective To explore the changes of Caspase-1/3 levels in the cells and the mechanism of CD4+T cell reduction in the chronic phase of HIV-1 infection.Methods According to the number of CD4+T lymphocytes(<200cells/ul, 200-350cells/ul, 350-500 cells/ul,>500cells/ul), the patients was divided into four groups who were treated with HAART. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained at 0 weeks after treatment from four groups. There is also a group of healthy control group. The percentage of Caspase-1/3 cells in CD4+/CD8+T cells was detected by flow cytometry. Analysis the relationship between caspase-1/3 and disease progression. CD4+ T-cell count and HIV RNA were determined.Results The caspase-3 in CD4+/CD8+T cells were compared between the five groups, the experimental groups were higher than that of the healthy people in five groups. The caspase-1 in CD4+T cells were compared between the five groups, found that CD4+T cells less than 200 cells /ul group was higher than the other four groups. And The caspase-1 in CD8+T cells were compared between the five groups, found that CD4+T cells were less than 200 cells /ul group were higher than the last three groups.With the decrease of CD4+T cells, the caspase-1/3 cell CD4+T was increased, indicating that the number of CD4+T cells decreased with the caspase-3 mediated apoptosis, caspase-1 induced pyroptosis, which is higher correlation with the focus death.The initial HIV infection, Reduction of CD4+T cells was possible based on the apoptosis, with the disease progression, into the AIDS phase, pyroptosis is rapidly increasing. there was no correlation between the caspase-1 and the viral load. Conclusions...