The CD133+ Stem/Progenitor-Like Cell Subset Is Increased in Human Milk and Peripheral Blood of HIV-Positive Women

Abstract

Human milk is a significant source of different CD133⁺ and/or CD34⁺ stem/progenitor-like cell subsets in healthy women but their cell distribution and percentages in this compartment of HIV-positive women have not been explored. To date, a decrease of CD34⁺ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell frequencies in peripheral blood and bone marrow of HIV-positive patients has been reported. Herein, human milk and peripheral blood samples were collected between day 2-15 post-partum from HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, and cells were stained with stem cell markers and analyzed by flow cytometry. We report that the median percentage of CD45^+/highCD34^-CD133⁺ cell subset from milk and blood was significantly higher in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative women. The percentage of CD45^dimCD34^-CD133⁺ cell subset from blood was significantly higher in HIV-positive than HIV-negative women. Moreover, percentages of CD45^dimCD34⁺, CD45^dimCD34⁺CD133^-, and CD45^+highCD34⁺CD133^- cell subsets from blood were significantly lower in HIV-positive than HIV-negative women. The CD133⁺ stem/progenitor-like cell subsets are increased in early human milk and blood of HIV-positive women and are differentially distributed to CD34⁺ cell subset frequencies which are decreased in blood.

Keywords: CD133; CD34; CD45; HIV-1; human milk.

Figure 1

Proportions of CD34⁺ and CD133⁺ cell subsets in human milk and its peripheral blood counterpart of HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. The CD34⁺ and CD133⁺ cell subsets and cell populations according CD45 expression from both compartments.