VCAM-1 expression on CD8+ cells correlates with enhanced anti-HIV suppressing activity

Abstract

CD8(+) cells from HIV-infected individuals showing the CD8(+) cell noncytotoxic antiviral response unexpectedly revealed mRNA for VCAM-1, a cell surface molecule found on endothelial cells. Uninfected subjects had undetectable levels of VCAM-1 mRNA in their CD8(+) cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that up to 12% of the CD8(+) cells from HIV-positive individuals expressed VCAM-1 compared with 0.8% of the CD8(+) cells of HIV-negative individuals. Enrichment of the CD8(+)VCAM-1(+) cell population and subsequent coculture with CD4(+) cells acutely infected with HIV-1 showed that the VCAM-1(+)CD8(+) cells were able to suppress viral replication with 50% less input cells than the unseparated CD8(+) cell population. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the expression of VCAM-1 on CD8(+) cells. Moreover, the CD8(+)VCAM-1(+) cells show enhanced CD8(+) cell noncytotoxic antiviral response activity that could have clinical importance in HIV infection.