INHIBITORY EFFECT OF 3'-AZIDO-3'-DEOXYTHYMIDINE ON PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSIVENESS OF CD8(-2() LYMPHOCYTES TO INTERLEUKIN)

Although several studies have shown that 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (A ZT) is not toxic for CD4(+) lymphocytes, its effect on CD8(+) cells ha s never been studied in a systematic way. We purified CD8(+) cells fro m the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of both human immunodeficienc y virus (HIV)-seronegative and HIV-infected individuals by means of ma gnetic beads that had been coated with monoclonal antibodies. We repor t that AZT, but not two other nucleosides tested, inhibited the interl eukin-2-dependent proliferation of CD8(+) lymphocytes in a dose-depend ent manner. No such effect was observed,vith regard to CD4(+) enriched populations. The AZT-mediated antiproliferative effect did not appear to be related to either the CD4(+) count or to prior treatment with t his drug in the case of HIV-seropositive subjects.