THE EFFECT OF ACUTE EXERCISE ON LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS, NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS, PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSES, AND CYTOKINES IN HIV-SEROPOSITIVE PERSONS

Eight healthy men infected with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 ( HIV) and eight HIV seronegative age- and sex-matched controls exercise d on a bicycle ergometer (75% of VO(2)max, 1 h). The percentages of CD 4(+), CD4(+)45RA(+), and CD4(+)45RO(+) cells did not change, whereas t he absolute number of CD4(+) cells increased twofold during exercise a nd fell below prevalues 2 h after. The neutrophil count increase was m ore pronounced after exercise in the controls compared with in HIV-ser opositive subjects. The percent CD16(+) cells, and the natural killer (NK) and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell activity increased dur ing exercise, but this increase was significantly less pronounced in t he HIV-seropositive group. The results suggest that in response to phy sical stress, HIV-seropositive subjects have an impaired ability to mo bilize neutrophils, NK and LAK cells to the blood. Furthermore, becaus e the total number of CD4(+) cells, but not the percentage of CD4(+) c ells, changed in response to exercise, this study further strengthens the idea that the percentage of CD4(+) cells is preferable to the numb er of CD4(+) cells in monitoring patients seropositive for HIV.