Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1986. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Spontaneous and interferon resistant natural killer cell anergy in AIDS.
AIDS Res. 1983-84;1(3):221-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/86242460 Mitchell WM; Forti RL; Vogler LB; Lawton AR; Gregg CR
Abstract:
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is characterized by severe unrelenting opportunistic infections and/or Kaposi's sarcoma associated with a dysfunction of cell mediated immune responses. In addition to cutaneous anergy and inversion of T-helper/inducer to T-suppressor cell ratios usually observed in AIDS, we have observed in three AIDS cases with multiple opportunistic infections that spontaneous and interferon (IFN) stimulated natural killer (NK) cell activity against K-562 cells is absent or severely depressed as compared to controls. Spontaneous and IFN stimulated NK cell activity in promiscuous male homosexual controls was similar to that observed in heterosexual controls. The control subjects had T-helper:T-suppressor ratios ranging from 1.1 to 2.4 in contrast to the AIDS subjects who had typical inverted ratios of T-cells ranging from 0.17 to 0.54. HNK-1, a monoclonal antibody that identifies NK and antibody-dependent cytotoxic cells, marked 3-22% of peripheral blood lymphocytes from AIDS patients in comparison to 8-38% of lymphocytes from controls. A larger series will be required in order to ascertain the true incidence of NK cell anergy in AIDS and whether or not subgroups exist based on the association of Kaposi's sarcoma in the disease process.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*IMMUNOLOGY Adult Cytotoxicity, Immunologic Homosexuality Human Interferons/PHARMACOLOGY Killer Cells, Natural/DRUG EFFECTS/*IMMUNOLOGY Male Middle Age Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE
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