Logo image
Increase in CD4 Lymphocyte Counts After Splenectomy in HIV-infected Patients
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Increase in CD4 Lymphocyte Counts After Splenectomy in HIV-infected Patients

Allan R. Tunkel, Brian Kelsall, Michael F. Rein, Donald J. Innes, Frank T. Saulsbury, Kelly Vollmer and Brian Wispelwey
The American journal of the medical sciences, v 306(2), pp 105-110
Aug 1993
PMID: 8103284

Abstract

CD4 lymphocytes Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Splenectomy Thrombocytopenia
The records were reviewed of five human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected patients who underwent splenectomy, four for HIV-associated thrombocytopenia and one for gastric compression secondary to splenomegaly. After splenectomy, the four adult patients all had marked, sustained increases in their absolute CD4 lymphocyte counts; greater increases were observed in CD8 lymphocyte counts, accounting for decreases in the CD4:CD8 ratios. In patient 5 (one of triplets, all of whom were infected with HIV after a blood transfusion), absolute CD4 lymphocyte counts were stabilized after splenectomy; the other siblings manifested a decline in CD4 counts, which was associated with a delay in physical development and recurrent episodes of varicella. Immunohistochemical staining of spleen sections demonstrated significantly higher numbers of CD4 cells in splenic tissue from HIV-infected patients than from patients splenectomized secondary to trauma (2, 070±284 vs. 962±296; p=0.025). In addition, the HIV-infected patients had significantly higher percentages of CD4 lymphocytes in splenic tissue than in peripheral blood (49.3±11.0 vs. 20.3±7.9; p=0.005), suggesting that CD4 cells were sequestered in the spleens of these patients. These findings have implications for the management of splenectomized HIV-infected patients with regard to optimal timing of initiation of zidovudine therapy and for prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Metrics

7 Record Views
12 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Medicine, General & Internal
Logo image