Abstract
The prolonged generalized lymphadenopathy syndrome (PGL) has been considered a prodromal condition to the Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but the clinical, virological and immunological characteristics of patients who will develop AIDS are not known. We report on the immunological profile of intravenous drug abusers with or without PGL in Northeastern Italy. We found a reduction of lymphocyte-absolute numbers with reversal of the T4/T8 ratio and decreased Leu-11b+ cells. The response to mitogens and natural killer activity are compromised in PGL patients. Neutrophil function is reduced both in drug abusers with or without lymphadenopathy. The serological investigations revealed a high prevalence of antibodies against HTLV III and the Epstein-Barr viruses.
The recognition of immune dysfunction in the intravenous drug abusers appears to be important since these patients develop AIDS and these abnormalities may precede AIDS.
Full text
PDF





Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- De Paoli P., Reitano M., Battistin S., Castiglia C., Santini G. Enumeration of human lymphocyte subsets by monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry: a comparative study using whole blood or mononuclear cells separated by density gradient centrifugation. J Immunol Methods. 1984 Sep 4;72(2):349–353. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(84)90003-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Layon J., Idris A., Warzynski M., Sherer R., Brauner D., Patch O., McCulley D., Orris P. Altered T-lymphocyte subsets in hospitalized intravenous drug abusers. Arch Intern Med. 1984 Jul;144(7):1376–1380. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Masur H., Michelis M. A., Greene J. B., Onorato I., Stouwe R. A., Holzman R. S., Wormser G., Brettman L., Lange M., Murray H. W. An outbreak of community-acquired Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: initial manifestation of cellular immune dysfunction. N Engl J Med. 1981 Dec 10;305(24):1431–1438. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198112103052402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McCarley D. L., Shah V. O., Weiner R. S. Purified human monocyte subsets as effector cells in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). J Immunol. 1983 Oct;131(4):1780–1783. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Metroka C. E., Cunningham-Rundles S., Pollack M. S., Sonnabend J. A., Davis J. M., Gordon B., Fernandez R. D., Mouradian J. Generalized lymphadenopathy in homosexual men. Ann Intern Med. 1983 Nov;99(5):585–591. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-99-5-585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mildvan D., Mathur U., Enlow R. W., Romain P. L., Winchester R. J., Colp C., Singman H., Adelsberg B. R., Spigland I. Opportunistic infections and immune deficiency in homosexual men. Ann Intern Med. 1982 Jun;96(6 Pt 1):700–704. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-96-6-700. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miller B., Stansfield S. K., Zack M. M., Curran J. W., Kaplan J. E., Schonberger L. B., Falk H., Spira T. J., Mildvan D. The syndrome of unexplained generalized lymphadenopathy in young men in New York City. Is it related to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome? JAMA. 1984 Jan 13;251(2):242–246. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pinching A. J. The acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Clin Exp Immunol. 1984 Apr;56(1):1–13. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Seligmann M., Chess L., Fahey J. L., Fauci A. S., Lachmann P. J., L'Age-Stehr J., Ngu J., Pinching A. J., Rosen F. S., Spira T. J. AIDS--an immunologic reevaluation. N Engl J Med. 1984 Nov 15;311(20):1286–1292. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198411153112005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Siegal F. P. Immune function and dysfunction in AIDS. Semin Oncol. 1984 Mar;11(1):29–39. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Siegal F. P., Lopez C., Hammer G. S., Brown A. E., Kornfeld S. J., Gold J., Hassett J., Hirschman S. Z., Cunningham-Rundles C., Adelsberg B. R. Severe acquired immunodeficiency in male homosexuals, manifested by chronic perianal ulcerative herpes simplex lesions. N Engl J Med. 1981 Dec 10;305(24):1439–1444. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198112103052403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tilden A. B., Abo T., Balch C. M. Suppressor cell function of human granular lymphocytes identified by the HNK-1 (Leu 7) monoclonal antibody. J Immunol. 1983 Mar;130(3):1171–1175. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]