title: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome in childhood: impaired production of interleukin-2 by HIV (LAV/HTLV III) infected patients.
abstract: The phenotype and functions of T lymphocytes and of natural killer (NK) cells have been investigated in four children and five adults from three Italian families infected with HIV (LAV/HTLV III). The results show a heterogeneous pattern of immunological derangements involving distribution of T and natural killer subsets, proliferation in response to T cell mitogens and natural killer activity. However, all infected patients tested showed a very low or absent phytohaemagglutinin induced interleukin-2 production regardless of age and clinical conditions, while concanavalin A-induced interleukin-2 production was within the normal range. The impaired interleukin-2 production in response to phytohaemagglutinin in some patients is not related to phytohaemagglutinin-induced proliferation, to clinical conditions or to a defective distribution of T cell subsets. These results suggest that, in our patients, both adults and children, HIV (LAV/HTLV III) has an "early" tropism for a subset of T cells involved in interleukin-2 production.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007376:Interleukin-2