HIV infection and immunosenescence: A comparison of immune status and t cell homing markers between HIV infected and uninfected elderly individuals in Kisii, Kenya

Abstract

Objectives: To examine if differences exist among people aged ≥50 years in Tcell phenotypes frequencies and homing capacity between human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected and HIV uninfected controls that impacts Immunosenescence.
Design: Laboratory-based cross-sectional study.
Setting: Immunology laboratory at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH) in Kisii, Kenya.
Subjects: Asymptomatic elderly HIV infected patients attending HIV clinic and HIV uninfected controls all aged  50 years. Age used is according to the criteria of the American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which describes HIV/AIDS infected individuals aged  50 years as “elderly”.
Procedure: T-cell subset counts were resolved utilising FACScan flow cytometer and outcome processed employing FlowJo computer programme.
Differences in cell count and percentages of T lymphocytes were analysed utilising Student’s t-test and linear regression based on HIV status and age Main outcome measures: Cell count and percentage of T lymphocytes, CD4/CD8 ratio and age
Results: Significant difference were found in CD45+ (P = 0.045 and 0. 003), CD3+ (P=0.001), CD4+ (p<0.001), CD8+ (p<0.001), CD8+CCR7- (p<0.001) and CD4+CCR7- (p<0.001 and P=0.002) cells between HIV infected and uninfected people.
Conclusion: T-cell phenotypes frequencies and homing capacity are significantly altered among elderly HIV infected compared to the HIV uninfected controls leading to greater impairment of the T cell apportionment among older HIV infected and consequently HIV accelerates
Immunosenescence