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The T Helper Cell Shift in AIDS

Significance for Pharmacotherapy

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Summary

We recently postulated that susceptibility to HIV infection and progression of HIV-infected individuals to AIDS is controlled by cytokines that regulate 2 functionally distinct subsets of T helper (TH) lymphocytes. These subsets are TH1, which mainly enhance cell-mediated immunity and are regulated by type 1 cytokines. and TH2, which mainly augment antibody production and are regulated by type 2 cytokines.

HIV-seronegative individuals exposed to HIV may exhibit strong HIV-specific T cell-mediated immunity, since both HIV-specific T helper and T cytotoxic lymphocytes are activated in the absence of seroconversion and disease. Additionally, during progression of HIV-seropositive individuals to AIDS. a decline is observed in type 1 cytokines as well as an increase in the production of type 2 cytokines by HIV-positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated in vitro. The type 1 to type 2 switch is predictive for the following clinically relevant events: (a) reduction in CD4+ cell counts; (b) time to diagnosis of AIDS; and (c) time to death.

The manipulation of the immune response to induce and strengthen HIV-specific immunity may thus be useful in the management of HIV infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Immunologia, Universita’ degli Studi di Milano, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Mario Clerici

  2. Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Gene M. Shearer

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  1. Mario Clerici
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  2. Gene M. Shearer
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Clerici, M., Shearer, G.M. The T Helper Cell Shift in AIDS. Clin Immunother 3, 95–101 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03259271

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