title: Alcoholism and rapid progression to AIDS after seroconversion.
abstract: Rapid progression of infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to AIDS after seroconversion is rare; it has been associated with coinfection by cytomegalovirus or human T lymphotrophic virus type I. We describe an alcoholic patient whose condition progressed to AIDS 3 months after HIV-1 seroconversion occurred. Culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells yielded a syncytium-inducing variant of HIV-1. T lymphocytes showed no spontaneous cytotoxic activity against HIV-infected cells, nor could such activity be demonstrated following stimulation with HIV-1 antigen in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2. We hypothesize that our patient's accelerated course was due to alcohol abuse, which may have suppressed T cell function and stimulated HIV replication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wainberg
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Major
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology