High prevalence of thymic tissue in adults with human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection

Abstract

The thymus in adults infected with the HIV-1 is generally thought to be inactive, both because of age-related involution and vital destruction. We have revisited the question of thymic function in adults, using chest- computed tomography (CT) to measure thymic tissue in HIV-1-seropositive (n = 99) or HIV-1-seronegative (n = 32) subjects, and correlating these results with the level of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that are phenotypically described as naive thymic emigrants. Abundant thymic tissue was detectable in many (47/99) HIV-1-seropositive adults, aged 20-59. Independent of age, radiographic demonstration of thymic tissue was significantly associated with both a higher CD4+ T cell count (P = 0.02) and a higher percentage and absolute number of circulating naive (CD45RA+CD62L+) CD4+ T cells (P < 0.04). The prevalence of an abundant thymus was especially high in younger HIV-1-seropositive adults (≤ 39 yr) with CD4 counts in the range 300-500 cells/μl and in older subjects (> 40 yr) regardless of CD4 count (P = 0.03). These studies suggest that the thymus is functional in some but not all adults with HIV-1 disease.