Diminished Production of Interleukin 2 and Gamma-Interferon by Cloned «T» Cells from Patients with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

A total of 76 T-cell clones established from peripheral blood (PB) of 2 patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and of 141 T-cell clones established from PB of 3 normal donors were compared for their ability to produce interleukin 2 (IL-2) and gamma-interferon (γ-IFN). Twenty-seven clones from AIDS patients and 85 clones from controls expressed the CD4 phenotype, whereas 49 clones from AIDS patients and 56 clones from controls expressed the CD8 phenotype. There were no significant differences in the proportions of IL-2-producing CD4 T-cell clones established from PB of patients with AIDS and controls, but the mean concentration of IL-2 produced by CD4 clones from AIDS patients was significantly lower than that produced by CD4 clones from controls. Both the proportion of γ-IFN-producing CD4 clones and the mean concentration of γ-IFN produced by CD4 clones were significantly lower in AIDS patients than in controls. In contrast, there were no differences between AIDS patients and normal individuals in the proportion of IL-2- or Y-IFN-producing CD8 clones, or in the mean concentration of IL-2 and v-IFN produced by CD8 clones. These data suggest that the reduced ability of PB T-cells from patients with AIDS to produce IL-2 and v-IFN is not simply due to altered proportions or numbers of T-cell sub-populations, but also reflects intrinsic abnormalities of individual CD4 T lymphocytes.