Immunological studies in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Defective cell-mediated immunity in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is manifested by a reduction of T-helper (TH) cells and an increase of T-suppressor (T,) cells in peripheral blood, by loss of normal T-cell responses to mitogens and antigens in vivo and in vitro, and by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignancies.' Our immunological studies on a group of four patients with AIDS disclosed several preliminary but striking findings that have not previously been reported.