Acid-labile human leukocyte interferon in homosexual men with Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphadenopathy.

Some immunologic parameters in homosexual patients with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) or unexplained lymphadenopathy resemble findings in patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Many patients with SLE have an unusual acid-labile form of human leukocyte interferon (HuIFN-alpha) in their serum. Sera from 91 homosexual men were tested for the presence of HuIFN. Of 27 patients with KS, 17 had significant titers of HuIFN in their serum. Ten of 35 patients with lymphadenopathy and three of four patients with other clinical symptoms also had circulating HuIFN. In contrast, only two of 25 apparently healthy subjects had serum HuIFN. All 32 samples of HuIFN had antiviral activity on bovine cells, a characteristic of HuIFN-alpha, and all of 14 representative samples tested were neutralized by antibody to HuIFN-alpha. In addition, the HuIFN-alpha in six of eight representative patients was inactivated at pH 2 and therefore appears to be similar to the HuIFN-alpha found in patients with SLE. These findings suggest that an autoimmune disorder may underly lymphadenopathy and KS in homosexual men.

[1]  R. Friedman,et al.  Interferons with special emphasis on the immune system. , 1983, Advances in immunology.

[2]  S. Zolla-Pazner,et al.  Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma in homosexual men. , 1982, Annals of internal medicine.

[3]  S. Karpatkin,et al.  Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura in homosexual men. , 1982, Annals of internal medicine.

[4]  R. Friedman,et al.  Systemic lupus erythematosus: presence in human serum of an unusual acid-labile leukocyte interferon. , 1982, Science.

[5]  A. Fauci,et al.  Multiple interferons in the circulation of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis. , 1982, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[6]  J. Goedert,et al.  AMYL NITRITE MAY ALTER T LYMPHOCYTES IN HOMOSEXUAL MEN , 1982, The Lancet.

[7]  M. Gottlieb,et al.  Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and mucosal candidiasis in previously healthy homosexual men: evidence of a new acquired cellular immunodeficiency. , 1981, The New England journal of medicine.

[8]  C. Cunningham-Rundles,et al.  Severe acquired immunodeficiency in male homosexuals, manifested by chronic perianal ulcerative herpes simplex lesions. , 1981, The New England journal of medicine.

[9]  H. Masur,et al.  An outbreak of community-acquired Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: initial manifestation of cellular immune dysfunction. , 1981, The New England journal of medicine.

[10]  A. Friedman-kien.  Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma syndrome in young homosexual men. , 1981, Journal of American Academy of Dermatology.

[11]  T. Cheung,et al.  KAPOSI'S SARCOMA IN HOMOSEXUAL MEN—A REPORT OF EIGHT CASES , 1981, The Lancet.

[12]  B. Safai,et al.  Kaposi's sarcoma: A review and recent developments , 1981, CA: a cancer journal for clinicians.

[13]  G. Trinchieri,et al.  Tumour cell lines induce interferon in human lymphocytes , 1977, Nature.

[14]  D. Perl,et al.  Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in the United States: epidemiologic, diagnostic, and clinical features. , 1976, National Cancer Institute monograph.