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

International audience; 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 +/high CD34 − CD133 + cell subset from milk and blood was significantly higher in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative women. The percentage of CD45 dim CD34 − CD133 + cell subset from blood was significantly higher in HIV-positive than HIV-negative women. Moreover, percentages of CD45 dim CD34 + , CD45 dim CD34 + CD133 − , and CD45 +high CD34 + 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.