Abstract
Recent evidence incriminates a group of retroviruses as causative agents for AIDS but discrepancy between antibody prevalence and disease incidence in high risk populations indicates a role for other factors in development of the syndrome. Epidemiological associations between AIDS or related immune aberrations and numbers of sexual partners and rectal receptive intercourse suggest such a role for allogeneic leukocytes (AL) and germ cells (GC) of semen by perhaps inducing an initial immunodeficiency (ID). This hypothesis was tested in a murine model. AKR (H–2k) and C57BL/6 (H–2b) mice were given leukocytes (4.8 × 107 or GC (3×107) of syngeneic or allogeneic origin or a combination of AL and GC over 3 wks. ID (depression of Con A and alloreactivity and of natural killer activity (p<0.001) detectable at 8 wks and progressive at 12 wks developed only in mice given the combination. Histopathological abnormalities in ID mice included absence of thymic Hassall's corpuscles in both strains and histiocytic hyperplasia of lymphoid organs and a B cell leukemia (unlike the common T lymphoma) in the AKR strain. ID was induced in normal adult mice by administration of AL and GC in numbers comparable to those encountered through rectal intercourse by homosexual males. Chronic immune stimulation by alloantigens may alter host immune response to the retroviral agent leading to the development of AIDS.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call