Histologic features of foreign body reactions in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. The Military Medical Consortium for Applied Retroviral Research.
BACKGROUND
Within a large population of patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), seven had biopsy specimens that showed foreign body reactions with histologic features different from those seen in non-HIV-1-positive patients.


OBJECTIVE
These cases were reviewed to determine whether there was a specific pattern of response to foreign bodies in HIV-1 infection and whether this pattern was related to the stage of disease.


METHODS
Biopsy specimens were reviewed to identify ruptured epidermal cysts. These were studied in routine hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections and with immunohistochemical stains to characterize the inflammatory infiltrate.


RESULTS
The lesions in HIV-1-infected patients contained abundant macrophages with evidence of decreased function and a lack of giant cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These histologic features suggest an early functional deficit before there is a significant decrease in the number of T4 lymphocytes.
Smith
K J
KJ
Department of Dermatopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Bethesda, Maryland.
Skelton
H G
HG
Yeager
J
J
Angritt
P
P
Wagner
K F
KF
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous