Basic studies on AIDS: Immunological disturbances found among homosexual men in Japan

The number of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been increasing in several countries, especially in United States and western European countries. Recently, patients with AIDS have reported in Japan, however, the number of the patients is surprisingly small compared with other highly industries countries.It is well known from epidemical studies that AIDS occurs mainly among homosexual men. It was the reason why we had tried to examine the immunological coditions and the antibody to HTLV-III, a causative agent of AIDS, among Japanese homosexual men.Our results showed that the immunological conditions among Japanese homosexual men were mildly disturbed, especially low mitogenic responce to ConA and PWM and low IL-2 production of lymphocytes and hypergammaglobulinemia, although PHA response and response to IL-2, NK cell activity and gamma-IFN production were completely restored. These results confirmed the previous reports that immunological abnormalities were found among the non-AIDS and/or healthy homosexual men. The antibody to HTLV-III was negative in all plasma tested, and we could not find the patients with AIDS, clinically diagnosed. However, our results might suggest the following hypothesis; the homosexual life style may lead them to immunological disturbances and increasing the risk of infections and in such circumstances, HTLV-III will promote these conditions to full blown states of AIDS.And our results may also contribute for the epidemical study of AIDS in Japan as a valuable basal study.