[Demonstration of an engagement process towards cell death by apoptosis in lymphocytes of HIV infected patients].

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from AIDS patients or from infected asymptomatic individuals display a rapid loss of viability upon culture in a survival medium. Cellular death occurs following endonucleosomal DNA fragmentation (apoptosis), which is preceeded by chromatin condensation and lower staining with orange acridine. This phenomenon is accelerated by compounds known to activate lymphocytes (such as ionophores) and is partly or entirely suppressed by addition of a cytokine crude preparation, enriched in IL2. All together, these results suggest that in vivo a significant fraction of patients' lymphocytes is engaged towards a preapoptosis process resulting from abnormal activation.