Immune tumoral microenvironment in gliomas: focus on CD3+ T cells,Vδ1+ T cells,and microglia/macrophages

Gliomas are histologically defined as low-grade gliomas (LGG) and high-grade gliomas (HGG). The most common type of HGG is the glioblastoma (GBM). We aimed to determine the immunological characteristics of CD3 T-cells, Vδ1 T-cells, and microglia/macrophages infiltrating brain gliomas. We collected 24 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples issued from 19 cases of GBM and 5 cases of LGG. An immunohistochemical analysis was performed using anti-CD3, anti-Vδ1, and anti-iba-1 antibodies. Labelling indexes (LI) of CD3 and Vδ1 were evaluated quantitatively, and other CD3, Vδ1, and iba-1 staining characteristics were evaluated qualitatively. The median age of patients was 49 years in GBM and 52 years in LGG. The sex ratio was 1.4 and GBM predominated in males (p?=?0.05). In GBM, the medians of CD3-LI and Vδ1-LI were 30 and 3.5 respectively. CD3-LI inversely correlated with survival in GBM cases (r?=????0.543; p?=?0.016). CD3 staining intensity correlated with CD3-LI (p?<?0.0001) and with the survival in GBM cases (p?=?0.003). Compared to LGG, the CD3-LI, the intensity of intra-tumoral Vδ1 staining, and the amount of iba-1 were higher in GBM (p?=?0.042; p?=?0.014; and p?=?0.001 respectively). The iba-1 organization was more amoeboid in older patients and more branched in younger patients (p?=?0.028) and tended to be more amoeboid in cases with high iba-1 amount (p?=?0.09). Our results suggest that a high level of CD3-LI and a strong intra-tumoral infiltration of Vδ1 T-cells as well as a high involvement of TAM can be considered potential markers of poor prognosis of GBM. However, this requires further studies on more balanced GBM-LGG sample, including an expanded panel of biomarkers.

     

Clinical and immunological status of a newly diagnosed HIV positive population, in Marrakech, Morocco

Objective

To evaluate the clinical and the immune status of newly HIV diagnosed patients, in Marrakech city and its neighboring area, in Morocco.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study on 235 patients who have been previously confirmed for HIV infection, and underwent a CD4 T cells using flow cytometry (FacsCount, Becton Dickinson®).

Results

The mean age of patients was 34,3 ± 8,4 years (range: 14–55), with a male predominance (sex-ratio M/F=1.4). On basis of clinical data of the patients, 62% (n=146) of them were categorized as “category C”, 18.4% (n=43) as “category B”, and 19.6% (n=46) as “category A” according to CDC (Center for Disease Control) HIV classification. Among all of them, 60.4% (n=142) had less than 200 CD4T cells, 26% (n=61) had between 200 and 499 CD4T cells, and only 13.6% (n=32) showed a number of CD4T cells less or equal to 500/mm³.

Conclusion

The results of this study reflect a significant delay in the diagnosis of HIV infected patients. Therefore, this delay may compromise timely management of HIV infected individuals and enhances propagation of the epidemic in our country. These data confirm the need for intensifying prevention efforts among high-risk population. Moreover, continuing education in HIV/AIDS among healthcare providers should be reinforced.