title: Histologic features of foreign body reactions in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. The Military Medical Consortium for Applied Retroviral Research.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yeager
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angritt
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: 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