Document 0102
 DOCN  M9460102
 TI    Effect of glutathione depletion and oral N-acetyl-cysteine treatment on
       CD4+ and CD8+ cells.
 DT    9408
 AU    Kinscherf R; Fischbach T; Mihm S; Roth S; Hohenhaus-Sievert E; Weiss C;
       Edler L; Bartsch P; Droge W; Department of Immunochemistry, Deutsches
       Krebsforschungszentrum,; Heidelberg, Germany.
 SO    FASEB J. 1994 Apr 1;8(6):448-51. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94222269
 AB    HIV-infected individuals and SIV-infected rhesus macaques have, on the
       average, decreased plasma cysteine and cystine concentrations and
       decreased intracellular glutathione levels. We show that the cysteine
       supply and the intracellular glutathione levels have a strong influence
       on the T cell system. A study of healthy human subjects revealed that
       persons with intracellular glutathione levels of 20-30 nmol/mg protein
       had significantly higher numbers of CD4+ T cells than persons with
       either lower or higher glutathione levels. Persons who moved during a
       4-week observation period from the optimal to the suboptimal range
       (10-20 nmol/mg) experienced, on the average, a 30% decrease in CD4+ T
       cell numbers. This decrease was prevented by treatment with
       N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). NAC caused this relative increase of CD4+ T
       cell numbers in spite of decreasing glutathione levels and not by
       increasing the glutathione level. Our studies suggest that the immune
       system may be exquisitely sensitive not only against a cysteine and
       glutathione deficiency but also against an excess of cysteine.
 DE    Acetylcysteine/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE/*PHARMACOLOGY  Administration,
       Oral  Adult  Antigens, CD8/*ANALYSIS  Double-Blind Method
       Glutathione/*ANALYSIS  Human  Leukocyte Count/DRUG EFFECTS  Male  Middle
       Age  T-Lymphocytes/*DRUG EFFECTS  T4 Lymphocytes/*DRUG EFFECTS  CLINICAL
       TRIAL  JOURNAL ARTICLE  RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
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