LYMPHOCYTE MEMBRANE MODIFICATIONS INDUCED BY HIV-INFECTION

Novel carbohydrate antigen expressions were observed on T lymphocytes from HIV infected patients using flowcytometric analysis with four mAbs; BM-1, ACFH-18, PH-2 and C-6. These carbohydrate antigens were also expressed on oncogenic transformed cells but mere either not expressed or were weakly expressed in lymphocyte populations from healthy subjects. A dramatic change in glycosylation was induced on CD8(+)T cells from HIV infected patients. The glycosylation change correlated with the progression of the disease. The incidence of Le(y) antigen expression on CD8(+)T cells increased as the disease progressed with the ongoing impairment of immune function. The phenotype change that occurred with Le(Y) antigen expression might reflect the abnormal activation of T lymphocytes of some specific, but unknown, population of CD8(+)T cells. Thus, carbohydrate changes on the cell surface may induce immunological abnormality and accelerate the damage within the CD4(+)T cell subset, resulting in an impairment of the antigen specific immune system.