Effect of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 on CD34+Cells (original) (raw)

The presence of hematologic abnormalities in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is frequently observed. Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia, alone and in combination, have also been found in the peripheral blood of many patients suffering from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Bone marrow alterations, represented by myelodysplastic changes, have been reported in the early stages of the disease, whereas hypoplasia and fibrosis characterize the bone marrow picture in the last stages. We have previously demonstrated' that the numbers of all the hematopoietic progenitors [colony-forming units-granutocyte/monocyte (CFU-GM), burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E), and CFU-megakaryocyte (CFU-Meg)] are significantly reduced in the peripheral blood of HIV-1-seropositive individuals not receiving cytotoxic therapy and with no clear-cut hematological abnormalities. To further contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of the impairment of hematopoiesis in HIV-1-infected subjects, we evaluated the effect of HIV-1 on enriched hematopoietic cell (CD34+) cultures obtained from normal peripheral blood samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS Specimens Twelve units of enriched peripheral blood leukocytes were kindly provided by the blood bank of S. Orsola University Hospital.