ANALYSIS OF APOPTOSIS AND A TH1 TH2 PHENOTYPE IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS/

Lymphocytes from HIV patients, unlike those from normal HIV-negative s ubjects, underwent apoptosis upon in vitro culture. We found that the percentage of lymphocytes undergoing apoptosis was significantly highe r (P = 0.005) in patients with low CD4 cell counts (< 200 CD4 cells/mu l) (60%) than in patients at earlier stage ( > 500 CD4 cells/mu l) (3 5%). Serum IgE levels increased in two of six patients at last stage a nd in two of five patients at earlier stage. Spontaneous production of both IL-2 and IL-10, by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) aft er 48 h in culture, was greater in HIV-infected subjects and increased with disease progression. IFN-gamma production was greater in HIV-inf ected subjects but there was no evident change with disease progressio n. IL-4 production was barely detectable or not detected in both HIV-i nfected and HIV-negative individuals. These results indicate that spon taneous apoptosis is associated with advanced disease. However, there was no evidence of in vivo switch from the Th1 to Th2 phenotype in HIV -infected patients.