PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Martínez-Maza, O
AU  - Crabb, E
AU  - Mitsuyasu, R T
AU  - Fahey, J L
AU  - Giorgi, J V
TI  - Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with an in vivo increase in B lymphocyte activation and immaturity.
DP  - 1987 Jun 01
TA  - The Journal of Immunology
PG  - 3720--3724
VI  - 138
IP  - 11
4099  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/138/11/3720.short
4100  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/138/11/3720.full
SO  - J. Immunol.1987 Jun 01; 138
AB  - The expression of phenotypic markers on B lymphocytes in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive individuals, and in healthy seronegative donors was examined by two-color flow cytometry. Patients with AIDS and HIV-seropositive individuals showed an elevated percentage of B cells bearing an activation marker, the transferrin receptor, when compared with donors not infected with HIV. A decrease in the percentage of resting (Leu-8 positive) B cells was also seen in AIDS patients and HIV-seropositive individuals. An increased percentage of circulating, immature (CALLA-positive, CD10) B cells was seen in AIDS patients. These phenotypic changes were accompanied by an increased level of spontaneous IgG and IgM secretion, and increased cell size within the total B cell population and in some B cell subpopulations, in patients with AIDS and in HIV-seropositive people. These results demonstrate that phenotypic changes indicative of in vivo B cell activation and immaturity accompany the polyclonal production of Ig seen in HIV-infected individuals.