Phenotypic changes in monocytes and alveolar macrophages in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC).

The expression of Class II histocompatibility antigens (HLA-DR and HLA-DQ), leukocyte function associated antigen (LFA-1) and complement receptor type 3 (CR3) on peripheral blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages (M phi) from patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) and age-matched controls was studied. The percentage of HLA-DR+ monocytes from 4 AIDS patients and 12 ARC patients was 52.4 +/- 16.4% (p less than 0.05) and 50.2+21.2% (p less than 0.01) respectively (Controls, 75.4 +/- 12.6%). HLA-DQ expression in monocytes from one AIDS and two ARC patients was 31%, 39% and 18% respectively (in normal individuals, DQ was expressed by approximately 40% monocytes). HLA-DR and HLA-DQ expression on alveolar M phi from one AIDS patient and 2 ARC patients were also depressed. CR3 was expressed by 65.9 +/- 11.1% monocytes from normal controls. Patients with AIDS had a slightly, but significantly lower, proportion of CR3+ monocytes (43.9 +/- 15.9%, p less than 0.05) (in normal controls, CR3 monocytes were 65.9 +/- 11.1%). However, monocytes from ARC patients and alveolar M phi from one AIDS and 2 ARC patients expressed CR3 in a normal range. LFA-1 was significantly depressed in monocytes from both AIDS (45.7 +/- 1%, p less than 0.005) and ARC (57.5 +/- 10.9%, p less than 0.005) patients in comparison with controls (87.4 +/- 8.7%). Only alveolar M phi from one AIDS patient could be studied for LFA-1 antigen and this was into the normal range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)