Lymphadenopathic and oropharyngeal Kaposi's sarcoma in a drug addict with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Immunological abnormalities in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissue.
Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in peripheral blood and lymph nodes from a drug-addict with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) presenting with disseminated lymphadenopathic and oropharyngeal Kaposi's sarcoma. At the onset of disease, hypergammaglobulinemia, increase of OKT8+ T cell subset and reversal of OKT4/OKT8 ratio were found in the blood. At the same time, lymph nodes displayed, besides Kaposi's sarcoma, marked follicular hyperplasia, plasmocytosis and increase of OKT8+/Leu 2a+ T cells within follicular centers. These results are interpreted to indicate that at an early stage of disease the major tissue alterations took place within follicular centers and consisted of both B cell activation and T suppressor cell reaction. These changes correlated with immunological abnormalities observed in peripheral blood. Immunohistochemical investigation of lymphoid tissue may be useful to detect AIDS patients at an early stage.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology