Abstract
We evaluated both phenotypic variability and lymphocyte competence in the peripheral blood and lymph nodes of HIV-infected patients to assess the effect of antiretroviral treatment.
From August to September 1993, the blood (10 samples) and lymph nodes (4 samples) were obtained from 10 patients infected with HIV from AIDS Treatment and Research Centre of the University of New South Wales, Australia. Informed consent was obtained from all patients.
Whole blood and isolated lymph node mononuclear cell (LNMC) samples were examined by two-color cytofluorographic analysis. The proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and LNMC cultured for 3 days with phytohaemagglutinin was measured.
The percentages and absolute number of CD4+cells in whole blood of patients with HIV infection were significantly lower than in those of healthy subjects from the general population (controls), but those of CD3+cells in whole blood of patients were significantly higher than in those of controls. Percentages of CD8+cells in LNMC of patients was significantly lower than in whole blood, but those of CD19+cells in LNMC was significantly higher than in whole blood. Proliferative response of PBMC in patients was significantly lower than in controls. The proliferative response of LNMC from patients on AZT treatment was higher than in patients without AZT treatment.
These findings indicate that monitering the immunological happenings in lymph nodes may be extremery useful for assessing the effect of antiretroviral treatment.
