Characterization of Leukocytes from HIV-ART Patients Using Combined Cytometric Profiles of 72 Cell Markers

Mass cytometry is a technique used to measure the intensity levels of proteins expressed by cells, at a single cell resolution. This technique is essential to characterize the phenotypes and functions of immune cell populations, but is currently limited to the measurement of 40 cell markers that restricts the characterization of complex diseases. However, algorithms and multi-tube cytometry techniques have been designed for combining phenotypic information obtained from different cytometric panels. The characterization of chronic HIV infection represents a good study case for multi-tube mass cytometry as this disease triggers a complex interactions network of more than 70 cell markers.
Conclusion:
Here, we characterized the HIV inflammation at an unprocessed phenotypical resolution of 72 cell marker. We detected the upregulation of several proteins in HIV-infected patients. Among them, CD11a and CD11b were upregulated in PMNs, monocytes, mDCs, NK cells, and T cells. CD11b was also upregulated on pDCs. Other upregulated proteins included: CD38 on PMNs, monocytes, NK cells, basophils, B cells, and T cells; CD83 on monocytes, mDCs, B cells, and T cells; and TLR2, CD32, and CD64 on PMNs and monocytes. The monocyte and PMN population appeared to be strongly affected by the HIV infection, as CD11a, CD11b, CD32, CD38, CD64, CD83, CD86, and TLR2 were upregulated in these populations. Overall, these results show that HIV infection induced a specific environment that similarly affected various immune cells in these patients. CyTOF QC was checked before each acquisition.