[Coexpression of CD4 and CD8 antigens and the appearance of HLA-DR and CD25 receptors on lymphocytes as markers of immune activation in patients with HIV infection].

Results of quantitative determinations of peripheral blood lymphocytes presenting CD4 or simultaneously CD4 and CD8 antigens as well as HLA-DR and CD25 antigens in patients with different clinical stages of CD4+ and CD4+CD8+ cells were observed. The fall of CD4+CD8+ lymphocytes percentage was slight in the initial stages of infection but more sharp during the full-blown AIDS. The percentage of HLA-DR positive cells was higher in seropositive patients in comparison with controls and increased with the progression of HIV infection into AIDS.

[Presence of autoantibodies in patients infected with HIV].

The presence of serum autoantibodies directed against single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), RNA, histones, nuclear antigen SS-A, mitochondria and cardiolipin were investigated in 30 HIV-negative drug addicts (from years 1986-87), 30 addicts actually infected with HIV and 31 AIDS patients presenting with clinical symptoms indicating autoimmune disorders. Positive results were found in 12 (40%) drug addicts from years 1986-87, 5 (16.7%) actually infected and 16 (51.

[The effect of discontinuing intravenous opiate injections and methadone treatment on the status of the immune system in narcotic abusers with HIV].

The effect of discontinuation of injecting drug use and administration of methadone was investigated in 43 HIV-infected drug abusers. In 20 (46.5%) out to them an improvement in the immune status as measured by CD4+ lymphocyte percentage and CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio was observed, while remaining 23 persons (53.

[Initial assessment of the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in diagnosis of tuberculosis among patients of the Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of AIDS].

This initial report on the use of PCR in diagnosis of TB was based on a group of 180 patients observed in the AIDS Diagnosis and Therapy Center in Warsaw. Out of 6 patients with positive results of PCR assay for MTB, five had positive AFB smears in induced sputum or BAL, two had positive MTB cultures. Five of them were treated with tuberculostatic drugs with clinical improvement and had negative sputum PCR MTB results after several weeks.

[Initial evaluation of the diagnostic usefulness of tuberculin tests among the patients of the Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of AIDS].

Tuberculin and Candida skin tests were done on 98 HIV(+) and 42 control HIV(-) patients of AIDS Diagnosis and Therapy Center in Warsaw. Prevalence of the positive Tuberculin tests in the control group was 29% and it was not significantly different from those groups of patients HIV(+) whose CD4 cell count was higher than 350. For those with CD4 cell count 350 or below, tests were positive only in two cases both of the patients with active tuberculosis.

[Occurrence of free receptor for interleukin 2 in serum and quantitative determinations of CD25+ in patients infected with HIV].

Serum soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) concentration and the percentage of lymphocytes presenting this receptor (CD25+) were investigated in 28 asymptomatic HIV carriers or patients with lymphadenopathy only and in 15 AIDS patients. The levels of sIL-2R were found to be higher in AIDS patients (mean 1060 U/ml) than in persons during the initial stages of infection (mean 750 U/ml) or controls (mean 470 U/ml). No significant differences in the quantity of CD25+ lymphocytes between these groups were observed, with the means of 1.

[Evaluation of humoral immune response in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV infection. Analysis of titers of anti-Hbs, antibodies against cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus type I, rubella virus and toxoplasma gondii].

40 asymptomatic HIV carriers and 45 AIDS patients were tested for anti-HBs (Hepatitis B Virus surface antigen), anti-RV (Rubella virus), anti-Toxo (Toxoplasma gondii), anti-CMV (Cytomegalovirus) and anti-HSV-1 (Herpes simplex virus type 1) antibody titers and compared with 83 persons characterized by risk behaviours but seronegative for HIV. The prevalence of these antibodies was very high and similar in all three groups studied, however, patients with AIDS had generally lower antibody titers when compared with asymptomatic carriers. The only exception being anti-HSV-1 which was present in high titre even in gravely ill patients.

[Eleven year period of asymptomatic HIV infection in a patient after open heart surgery].

A case is described of a 62 years old patient in the initial stage of clinically overt HIV infection. The infection occurred probably 11 years earlier by means of blood transfusion during open heart surgery. The possible reasons for the long-term asymptomatic carriage of the virus and factors influencing the development of symptomatic HIV infection (AIDS) are discussed.

[Appearance of thrombocytopenia in patients infected with HIV].

Results of quantitative determinations of thrombocytes and selected, basal immune parameters in 263 HIV infected subjects are presented. A decrease in the platelet count was observed more frequently in symptomatic subjects, including AIDS patients, than in asymptomatic HIV carriers or patients with generalized lymphadenopathy only. A significant correlation between thrombocyte number and percentage and number of CD4+ lymphocyte and CD4+/CD8+ lymphocyte ratio was found only in the group of symptomatic subjects.

[Quantitative assay of CD8+ (cytotoxic and suppressor) lymphocytes in patients with both asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV infection].

Lymphocytes CD8+ have been assayed prospectively in 245 individuals infected with HIV. Percentage and number of CD8+ have been nearly two-fold higher in asymptomatic patients or patients with lymphadenopathy than those in the control group. The number of CD8+ lymphocytes has been rapidly decreasing parallel to the progression of HIV (ARC and AIDS), while their percentage has increased--however insignificantly.

[Prevalence of HIV antigens in cerebrospinal fluid and in serum of patients with both asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV infection].

Prevalence of HIV-Ag in both serum and CSF has been determined in 19 HIV infected patients, including 7 patients without any symptoms or only generalized lymphadenopathy, 5 patients with ARC and 7 patients with AIDS. The results have been correlated with clinically evident neurological disorders. HIV-Ag have been detected in 9 out of 12 patients with ARC (AIDS Related Complex) and AIDS.

[Occurrence of HIV antigens in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].

A total of 74 serum samples from 37 AIDS patients were analysed for HIV antigen and results were correlated with duration of the disease, predominant symptoms, T4 lymphocyte count in peripheral blood, and antiviral therapy. The prevalence of HIV-Ag increased with duration of AIDS and T4 lymphocyte depletion. It was also higher in patients who were not treated with antiviral therapy than in treated persons.

[Influence of therapy with glucocorticosteroids on clinical status, t4 lymphocyte count and t4/t8 lymphocyte ratio in people infected with AIDS].

The influence of glucocorticosteroids (GKS) therapy on clinical status, T4 lymphocyte count in peripheral blood and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio was investigated in five HIV infected patients: two were asymptomatic, while three had clinically overt disease. The reasons for GKS therapy were: thrombocytopenia in two patients, pancytopenia in two and sepsis with severe endocarditis in one. No influence of GKS on the clinical course of HIV infection was observed.

[Prospective studies of T4 and T8 lymphocyte subpopulations and beta 2-microglobulin in patients with HIV infection].

Sequential changes of percentage and number of T4 (helper) and T8 (cytotoxic/suppressor) lymphocyte subsets and serum beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2m) level were observed in 23 HIV infected patients for a period of 4 months to 3 years. 10 subjects were asymptomatic HIV carriers, 9 had already AIDS at the beginning of the study and 4 patients developed clinically overt disease during the observation period. T4 lymphocyte number remained in normal range in asymptomatic HIV carriers but in 4 patients its decrease preceded the development of clinical symptoms of infection.

[T4 lymphocytes (helper cells) and T8 lymphocytes (cytotoxic and suppressor cells) in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV infection].

250 determinations of lymphocyte T subsets in 130 HIV infected patients (79 asymptomatic carriers or with lymphadenopathy, 31 ARC- and 20 AIDS-patients) were analyzed as to the percentage, number, and ratio of T4 (helper) and T8 (cytotoxic/suppressor) lymphocytes in sequential clinical stages of HIV infection. Asymptomatic HIV carriers or patients with lymphadenopathy were found to have statistically significant higher counts of erythrocytes, platelets, total lymphocytes, percentage and number of T4 lymphocytes and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio than the ARC-patients. Persons with ARC in comparison with AIDS-patients were found to have significantly higher values of erythrocytes, platelets, leucocytes, total lymphocytes, T4 lymphocytes, percentage and count of T8 lymphocytes and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio.