[Immunologic changes in patients with AIDS and subjects from a group of high risk in Argentina].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Scaglione.
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Eighty male undergraduates were administered either glucose or 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg of hydrocortisone in a double-blind procedure. After 60 min they were asked to listen to eight 12 word lists and then asked to recall the words. In addition to the expected effects of rate of presentation, serial position, and practice there was a significant interaction between dose of hydrocortisone and practice. Early recall was facilitated by all doses used whereas later recall was facilitated by treatment with 40 mg and impaired by treatment with 5 mg. These findings are discussed in the context of the effects of pituitary adrenocortical hormones and memory function.
We investigated the distribution of autologous rosette forming cells (ARFC) in the peripheral blood from subjects at risk for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The mean percentage of ARFC with autologous plasma from 35 male homosexual individuals was significantly lower than that of 31 normal controls. The mean percentage of ARFC of SARA had a direct linear correlation with the percentage of T4+ cells (p less than 0.01). Within the SARA group, those with antibodies against HTLV-III/LAV had percentages of ARFC significantly lower than SARA with negative antibodies. Plasma from SARA decreased the percentage of ARFC of normal cells when compared to normal homologous plasma (p less than 0.005), whereas normal homologous plasma did not modify the low percentage of ARFC from SARA. These results indicate that SARA possess a depletion of this subpopulation of T cells. This is more pronounced in subjects with anti-HTLV-III/LAV antibodies. The low ARFC is related to a decrease in the number of cells that correlates with the number of T4+ cells. The inhibition of normal ARFC by plasma from SARA suggests the existence of plasma factors that could mask the lymphocyte receptors for their own red blood cells and/or coat erythrocytes preventing lymphocyte-erythrocyte binding.
We studied the functions of peripheral blood monocytes and polymorphonuclear cells in 15 apparently healthy homosexual men, eight homosexual or bisexual subjects with unexplained generalized lymphadenopathies (pre-AIDS), four homosexual men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 15 heterosexual men. In comparison with normal controls, the homosexual groups studied presented a decreased monocyte candidacidal activity for Candida pseudotropicalis that gradually deteriorates as the clinical symptoms progress towards AIDS. The monocyte phagocytic function was retained. Although the phagocytic and candidacidal activities of the polymorphonuclear cells did not differ from those of the normal controls, the candidacidal activity in some of the cases studied was unusually enhanced, indicating that the cells were in an activated state. In addition, only two of nine sera tested from asymptomatic homosexual males were positive for antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV, while six out of eight pre-AIDS and both of the two AIDS patients tested had antibodies to AIDS-associated retrovirus. We suggest that in AIDS the phagocytic system is already involved, together with B and T lymphocyte abnormalities, during the early events of the syndrome, even without the detection of AIDS-associated retrovirus antibodies.
Serologic reactivity against EBV-infected lines was assayed in patients with AIDS (n = 4) or the AIDS related complex (AIDS-RC) (n = 46) residing in Argentina. Anti-VCA serology was comparable to that of controls. However sera from AIDS and AIDS-RC could induce antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) to EBV-infected cell lines (P3HRIK and Raji). ADCC activity could be recovered in the high molecular weight fractions of AIDS and AIDS-RC sera. ADCC was observed in sera with high levels of PEG precipitable material (PEG-pp) but was unrelated to the presence of complement-fixing immune complexes (Clq-F) or to anti-VCA titers. Fc receptor (FcR) bridging between target cells FcR and effector cells FcR may play a role in the outcome of total ADCC.
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The importance of diet within the framework of effective therapeutic measures in the prophylaxis of recurring lithiasis is emphasised. Some diet sheets are presented.
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Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were in two consecutive protocols and in complete remission (CR) with maintenance therapy, were randomized to receive or not receive levamisole. A total of 15 of 55 low-risk patients of protocol 10-LLA-72 with levamisole had relapses, compared with 25 of 54 not receiving levamisole; 67 and 49%, respectively, remain in CR at 48 months (P less than 0.025). In protocol 1-LLA-76, 14 of 91 low-risk patients on levamisole and 25 of 93 patients receiving levamisole had relapses; 78 and 61%, respectively, remain in CR at 36 months (P less than 0.05). Seventeen of 39 high-risk patients (children with a leukocyte count higher than 50,000 and adults) receiving levamisole had relapses compared with 37 of 61 not on levamisole. The DNCB skin test showed at 18 and 24 months a 74 and 85% positivity in the levamisole groups vs. a 38 and 35% positivity in the control group (P less than 0.025). We conclude that levamisole prolongs the duration of CR and survival in low-risk patients with ALL.
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We present the case of an 11 year-old Caucasian girl who presented chest pain of 12 weeks evolution, with no other symptoms and a negative physical examination. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were increased to 797 U/l, whereas beta-2-microglobulin (BM2) levels were normal. The thoracic CT showed a bulky mediastinal mass that occupied the pretracheal, paratracheal and right prevascular regions. The gallium scintigraphy showed high uptake in the mediastinic region; the bone scintigraphy was negative. Biopsy of the mediastinal mass revealed the presence of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Treatment included 4 cycles of chemotherapy followed by 7 days of subcutaneous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, Lenogastrim) at a dose of 5 mg/Kg/day. Following treatment, a CT scan was performed to evaluate response, finding a calcification of the mass without significant reduction of the overall size. Because CT was inconclusive in the assessment of response to therapy, a 18F-FDG PET scan was performed. The 18F-FDG PET scan did not show any pathological uptake in the mediastinum but revealed a splenic and bone marrow diffusely increased 18F-FDG uptake. The differential diagnosis included a secondary effect induced by G-CSF therapy as one of the main possibilities, but other possibilities such as a malignant infiltration by lymphoma could not be discarded. Therefore, a second 18F-FDG PET scan was performed 3 months later. This study showed no pathological findings, with a normal 18F-FDG uptake in the spleen and bone marrow. Thus, the benign and reactive nature of the splenic and bone marrow 18F-FDG increased uptake found in the previous study was confirmed. We consider that the stimulating effect that G-CSF therapy has on the spleen and bone marrow must be taken into account when performing a 18F-FDG PET scan, as it can be an important source of false-positive results.
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