CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from HIV infected patients with HIV-RNA viremia

CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from HIV infected patients with HIV-RNA viremia of >50 copies/ml and CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from healthy controls were isolated by negative selection (Miltenyi Biotech, Auburn, CA). Cell sorting of the CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets were performed based on surface staining of CD3+CD8+ or CD3+CD4+ and na ve CD45RA+CD27+CD127highHLA-DRlow, and CD3+CD8+ or CD3+CD4+ and memory CD45RA-CD27+CD127highHLA-DRlow. Sorted cell populations were spun down and stored as dry pellets at -80°C. Samples analyzed by transcript levels of genes related to cytokine signaling were determined by the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway microarray. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from HIV infected patients with HIV-RNA viremia of >50 copies/ml and CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from healthy controls were isolated by negative selection (Miltenyi Biotech, Auburn, CA). Cell sorting of the CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets were performed based on surface staining of CD3+CD8+ or CD3+CD4+ and naïve CD45RA+CD27+CD127highHLA-DRlow, and CD3+CD8+ or CD3+CD4+ and memory CD45RA-CD27+CD127highHLA-DRlow. Sorted cell populations were spun down and stored as dry pellets at -80°C. Samples analyzed by transcript levels of genes related to cytokine signaling were determined by the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway microarray (http://www.sabiosciences.com/rt_pcr_product/HTML/PAHS-039A.html, SABiosciences Frederick, MD). Briefly, total RNA was harvested from each individual T cell subset from each patient or healthy control and contaminating DNA was digested with DNase. Messenger RNA was converted to cDNA and loaded onto PCR array plates for quantitative real-time PCR. Quantification of transcript levels was determined by normalizing to 5 housekeeping genes from each individual sample. Relative gene expression levels for each subset were averaged and compared between cell populations from the patient group and healthy controls. Because of the multiple comparisons only p values ≤ 0.01 were considered significant.