Augmentation of cellular immune function during the early phase of zidovudine treatment of AIDS patients.
Twenty-five patients with AIDS in AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 002 were treated with either low or high dosages of zidovudine. This resulted in moderate, transient increases by 10 and 20 weeks in lymphocyte blastogenesis and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production in vitro in response to phytohemagglutinin with and without recombinant interleukin-2. Immune responses to cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 1 antigens were augmented less frequently during therapy. Natural killer (NK) cell lysis of uninfected and human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells was also transiently increased by 10 and 20 weeks. IFN-gamma production, the only immune parameter directly associated with increases in numbers of CD4+ T cells, peaked at 10 weeks of treatment. The limited efficacy of zidovudine treatment in AIDS patients is associated with moderate, temporary increases in nonspecific and herpesvirus-specific T lymphocyte responses and NK cell function.
Rinaldo
C
C
Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
Huang
X L
XL
Piazza
P
P
Armstrong
J
J
Rappocciolo
G
G
Pazin
G
G
McMahon
D
D
Gupta
P
P
Fan
Z
Z
Zhang
Z
Z
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000032:analysis; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D015215:Zidovudine; D007371:Interferon-gamma