S. Foster et al., GP120-INDUCED PROGRAMMED CELL-DEATH IN RECENTLY ACTIVATED T-CELLS WITHOUT SUBSEQUENT LIGATION OF THE T-CELL RECEPTOR, European Journal of Immunology, 25(6), 1995, pp. 1778-1782
In most individuals, HIV infection is characterized by a progressive d
ecline in the number of peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocytes, and whi
le the number of CD4(+) cells is within the normal range, defects in i
mmune function are detectable. To date neither the decline in function
nor the decline in cell number have been satisfactorily explained. He
re we describe a mechanism which may contribute to the immunodeficienc
y and decline in CD4(+) cell numbers in HIV-infected individuals. We s
how that recently activated T cells are susceptible to apoptosis when
exposed to HIV gp120 in the presence of anti-gp220 antibody.