Proliferative response of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets from Hispanics with HIV+ and AIDS: the superantigen hypothesis

Superantigen does not appear to play a role in the decrease in the number of CD4+ T cells that occurs during HIV infection. An antigen is a substance that triggers an immune response. CD4+ T cells are components of the immune system. If CD4+ cells with a receptor that interacted with a superantigen were depleted, those that remained would be less responsive to other superantigens. However, their responses to other mitogens should not be changed. CD4+ T cells from 20 HIV-positive patients, 15 AIDS patients and 25 comparison subjects were exposed to superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxins B and A and the mitogen concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen. Mitogens trigger cell duplication. Inhibition of cell duplication was similar for the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxins and the concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen. Inhibition did vary by infection status.