Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Research Articles

Antibodies to AIDS-Associated Retrovirus Distinguish Between Pediatric Primary and Acquired Immunodeficiency Diseases

Antibody to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated retroviruses (ARVs) was investigated in 68 pediatric patients with abnormalities of T-cell and/or B-cell immunity. All except seven patients conformed to a specific World Health Organization classification for immunodeficiency disease. These seven patients had polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and T-cell immunodeficiency. Six of the seven patients had antibody to ARV and had risk factors associated with AIDS. The one patient without antiviral antibody had no AIDS risk factors. No antibody was detected in 61 patients with other primary immunodeficiency disorders. We conclude that ARV first appeared in our population of immunodeficient pediatric patients prior to 1978, is associated with a distinctive immunologic phenotype consisting of polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and T-cell immunodeficiency, and does not appear as an opportunistic infection in other immunodeficiency disorders. Detection of the retrovirus associated with AIDS is of value in identifying infants and children who may have unique medical and social problems that occur with AIDS.

Transfusion-associated AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease (AIDS) may be transmitted by transfusion of blood components, although the risk remains extremely small. This report reviews the evidence for transmission by transfusion, the risk in several different situations, and the steps blood banks have taken to prevent transfusion of blood from donors at risk for AIDS. A test for the antibody to the virus responsible for AIDS (HTLV-III) will shortly be in routine use in blood banks, but the frequency with which the results will be falsely negative or falsely positive in a blood donor population remains to be established.

Epidemiologic designs for the study of acquired immunodeficiency disease: options and obstacles.

Epidemiologic methods are designed to identify risk factors involved in production of a particular disease, even when the specific etiologic agent is unknown. However, a major problem currently presenting obstacles to research on the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) relates to classification; approaches are described that will permit reclassification when better laboratory techniques are developed or when more information is available from studies on natural history. Further descriptive studies will be valuable in the determination of whether extension of disease has occurred to new population groups or geographic areas. Case control studies can provide information on changes of known risk factors or can confirm and help to specify those factors already recognized. Because of the dynamic nature of AIDS and the probable existence of multiple risk factors, prospective cohort studies will be of greatest value, although they will take longer to complete. As understanding of the etiologic factors improves, preventive measures will become more efficient.

Serum suppression of lymphocyte activation in vitro in acquired immunodeficiency disease.

Sera from nine men and one woman having the recently described acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AID) were studied for effects on healthy control lymphocyte activationin vitro by two T-lymphocyte activators, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and allogeneic lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) reaction. Selected sera were also tested for blocking of endogenous natural killer (NK) activity against the K562 tumor target. The results obtained demonstrated that all of the sera tested had a strong capacity to block the normal T-cell response and that this blocking effect could be diluted out. Some of the sera blocked α-interferon (αIFN)-induced NK activity but not endogenous NK activity. All of the patients had abnormal lymphocyte responses to T-cell activators in pooled normal human serum-supplemented cultures. There was no simple correlation between patient lymphocyte deficiency and percentage blocking capacity of patient serum. Sera were absorbed against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and against allogeneic cells. SRBC absorption was effective in removing serum factors blocking normal lymphocyte responses to PHA and, in some cases, to allogeneic cells, whereas allogeneic absorption did not prevent serum inhibition of the PHA response. Conversely, allogeneic absorption removed serum factors blocking normal responses in MLC at least as well as or better than SRBC absorption. Increasing the number of absorptions increased the efficacy of allogeneic absorption. The positive effect of allogeneic absorptions was observed only when the stimulating allogeneic cell pool in the MLC was the same pool as that used in absorptions. The results suggest that both anti-T lymphocyte- and anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked determinants are present in the sera of patients with AID. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Naturally Occurring Acquired Immunodeficiency Diseases of the Dog and Cat

Naturally Occurring Acquired Immunodeficiency Diseases of the Dog and Cat