EVIDENCE FOR AN IN-VIVO SUPERANTIGENIC ACTIVITY IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS

In a previous study, we reported the existence of a specific anergy af fecting selectively the V beta 8 subset in both CD4 and CD8 T cells fr om human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Because this o bservation gives evidence for a previous in vivo activation of this su bset by a superantigen, we further characterize, in the present study, this Vps-anergy associated with HIV infection. Molecular T-cell recep tor analysis indicates that the V beta 8-anergized T cells are polyclo nal, Furthermore, we show the dependence of this anergy on the express ion of allelic forms of HLA class II DRB1 molecules. These observation s explain the frequency of anergic persons among HIV-infected donors ( 56%) and are consistent with a previous in vivo superantigenic activit y. Comparative analyses of disease evolution between V beta 8 responde r and anergic persons do not show any clear relation between the V bet a 8 status and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pathogenesis. Howeve r, the stability of the V beta 8 status, the absence of correlation wi th previous microbial infections, and the previously reported precocit y of vps anergization are in favor of a strong association between the in vivo existence of a V beta 8-specific superantigen and HIV infecti on, Finally, the functional dichotomy we observe for all anergized don ors between blood and lymph node T cells raises the question of the in vivo localization of the superantigenic activity. (C) 1996 by The Ame rican Society of Hematology.