AIDS virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in lung disorders.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is implicated in the development of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). HIV infection leads to the generation of HIV-specific thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes in humans and apes. We describe an experimental system permitting the quantitative and systematic analysis of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Functional, HIV-specific CTL are obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) from the lungs of seropositive patients with lymphocytic alveolitis. These alveolar CTL: (1) recognize and kill HIV-infected alveolar macrophages in vitro under autologous, but not heterologous, conditions; (2) correspond to standard CTL as they express the CD3 and CD8 surface markers, but not the CD4 marker; and (3) are restricted by class I HLA transplantation antigens in their cytotoxic activities. We propose the hypothesis that interactions between HIV-specific CTL and infected macrophages induce major inflammatory reactions in seropositive patients.
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D004279:DNA, Viral