Hosaka N, Oyaizu N, Than S, Pahwa S
Department of Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital-New York University School of Medicine, Manhasset 11030, USA.
Clin Immunol. 2000 Apr;95(1 Pt 1):20-5. doi: 10.1006/clim.2000.4843.
Fas and Fas ligand (FasL), members of the TNFR and TNF families of molecules involved in apoptosis, respectively, are expressed in membrane-associated as well as soluble forms. Soluble Fas (sFas) and sFasL were evaluated in sequential samples from 16 HIV-infected and 11 HIV-exposed uninfected infants at ages 0-13 months. Regardless of the state of infection, age-dependent decreases in peripheral CD4 T cell counts and increases in sFas and sFasL were noted. However, decreases of the percentage CD4 T cells were more prominent in HIV-infected infants, and this was correlated significantly with increased plasma levels of sFas and sFasL (P = 0.002 and 0.004, respectively). Moreover, the levels of sFas in HIV-infected infants were found to be directly correlated with plasma HIV RNA (P = 0.03) and were significantly increased as early as age <1 month and prior to the onset of CD4 T cell decline. In uninfected infants, there was no such correlation between CD4 counts and the levels of sFas/sFasL. Plasma levels of sFas and sFasL may thus be important indicators of disease progression in perinatal HIV infection.
Fas和Fas配体（FasL）分别是参与细胞凋亡的肿瘤坏死因子受体（TNFR）家族和肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）家族的分子成员，它们以膜结合形式和可溶性形式表达。对16名感染HIV的婴儿和11名暴露于HIV但未感染的婴儿在0至13个月龄时的连续样本进行了可溶性Fas（sFas）和可溶性FasL的评估。无论感染状态如何，均观察到外周血CD4 T细胞计数随年龄下降，sFas和sFasL升高。然而，CD4 T细胞百分比的下降在感染HIV的婴儿中更为明显，且这与sFas和sFasL的血浆水平升高显著相关（分别为P = 0.002和0.004）。此外，发现感染HIV的婴儿中sFas水平与血浆HIV RNA直接相关（P = 0.03），并且早在年龄<1个月且在CD4 T细胞下降开始之前就显著升高。在未感染的婴儿中，CD4计数与sFas/sFasL水平之间没有这种相关性。因此，sFas和sFasL的血浆水平可能是围产期HIV感染疾病进展的重要指标。
