Document 0139
 DOCN  M9470139
 TI    Imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in the lungs of
       HIV-seropositive individuals.
 DT    9409
 AU    Buhl R; Pulmonary Department/ZIM, Frankfurt University Hospital,
       Germany.
 SO    Chem Biol Interact. 1994 Jun;91(2-3):147-58. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/94251841
 AB    Following the initial infection with HIV, there is evidence of immune
       dysfunction despite an apparent normal clinical state. In the context
       that the lung is a major site affected by opportunistic infection, and
       that some components of the immune system are activated during early HIV
       infection, we hypothesized that there may be activation of alveolar
       macrophages (AM), a key component of the pulmonary host defense system.
       Compared to cells from normal individuals, AM of asymptomatic
       HIV-seropositive (HIV+) individuals (CDC-stage II) spontaneously
       released significantly more superoxide anion (O2-.) (P < 0.002). The
       O2-. release by AM of HIV-infected individuals was comparable to the
       spontaneous O2-.-release by AM of cigarette smokers (P > 0.6), a
       condition often associated with chronic damage of respiratory tissues.
       The destructive effects of oxidants are normally suppressed by
       antioxidant defense systems. Evaluation of the concentrations of
       glutathione, a major component of the pulmonary antioxidant protective
       screen, demonstrated that the HIV+ state is also characterized by a
       significant glutathione deficiency in lung epithelial lining fluid (P <
       0.001) and in venous plasma (P < 0.001). This suggests that the alveolar
       structures of HIV+ individuals are continuously exposed to increased
       amounts of toxic oxygen radicals without adequate protection, i.e. the
       reactive oxygen metabolites may cause sufficient tissue damage
       culminating in interstitial lung disease. Further, since many immune
       functions are susceptible to injury by extracellular oxidants, the
       consequences of an unsuppressed oxidant burden in the lung may amplify
       the extent of local immunocompromise. In addition, since glutathione
       plays an important role in modulating lymphocyte activation and effector
       functions independent of its antioxidant activity, the systemic
       glutathione deficiency may contribute to the progressive global immune
       dysfunction that characterizes HIV infection.
 DE    Adult  Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/CYTOLOGY  Female
       Glutathione/BLOOD/*METABOLISM  Human  HIV
       Infections/IMMUNOLOGY/*METABOLISM  Lung/*METABOLISM  Macrophages,
       Alveolar/DRUG EFFECTS/METABOLISM  Male  Middle Age  Reactive Oxygen
       Species  Superoxides/*METABOLISM  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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