Flow Cytometry: Application in HIVAIDS Treatment

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Flow Cytometry Application in HIV/AIDS Treatment

• Annie Pankiewicz Jeff Ducharme
• Taryn Chun Tuan Truong

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Jills Curiosity About Flow Cytometry

• HIV positive and receiving treatment
• Flow Cytometry is a process of examining
  particles including CD4 T lymphocytes in a
  liquid suspension flowing through a measuring
  instrument.
• It rapidly identifies different types of cells by
  their surface proteins.

Figure retrieved 4/8/08 from www.gileadhiv.com/210
HowHIVWorks.aspx
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How It Works

• This figure retrieved 4/8/08 from
  www.lanl.gov/.../1663.article/d/20075/id/10397
• For animated figure, see also http//www.unsolvedm
  ysteries.oregonstate.edu/flow_cytometry_06.shtml

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What Are We Looking For?

• CD4 T cells (helper T cells)
• CD8 T cells (killer T cells)
• Normal CD4 count
• -500-1500 cells per cubic mm of blood
• AIDS CD4 count
• -below 200 cells per cubic mm of blood

What is the significance of obtaining highly
accurate CD4 counts and how does this effect
Jills chances of survival?
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Connections to Lecture

• CD4 and CD8 are surface proteins found on helper
  and killer T cells
• They are part of your bodys immune response that
  destroys intracellular and extracellular pathogens

• HIV-infected CD8 proteins and their respective
  killer T cell lose the ability to identify the
  bodys own cells from harmful ones and it begins
  killing everything it encounters
• -This is called an autoimmune disease

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Analogy

• The barcode scanner (laser beam) assesses each
  item (cell)
• Then sends the information to the computer screen
• The total is calculated and reported.

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References

• Aids.org. April 06, 2008. http//www.aids.org/fac
  tSheets/124-T-Cell-Tests.html
• Flow Cytometry. April 06, 2008.
  http//www.unsolvedmysteries.oregonstate.edu/flow_
  cytometry_04.shtml
• Insel, P. Roth, W. Core Concepts in Health,
  Brief Update. McGraw-Hill.