REPEATED BEREAVEMENT, DEPRESSED MOOD, AND IMMUNE PARAMETERS IN HIV-SEROPOSITIVE AND SERONEGATIVE GAY MEN

The relationships among bereavement, depressed mood, and immunologic p atterns prognostic for the development of acquired immunodeficiency sy ndrome (AIDS) were determined in a sample of human immunodeficiency vi rus (HIV) seropositive gay men and a comparison group of HIV seronegat ive gay men. Immunologic parameters were assessed in 45 men who had re cently experienced the deaths of close friends and 45 matched nonberea ved men. No immune differences were found between bereaved and nonbere aved men. Among the HIV seropositive nonbereaved men, higher depressed mood was significantly associated with fewer CD4 (helper/inducer) T l ymphocytes, more activated CD8 (suppressor/cytotoxic) T cells, and low er proliferative responses to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. In summa ry, HIV seropositive men who reported higher levels of depressed mood not associated with bereavement demonstrated immunologic patterns cons istent with HIV activity and progression.