Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy: immunological and mycological investigations

Abstract

Immunological and mycological investigations were carried out in 21 Swedish homosexual males. One of them had AIDS, one pre-AIDS and 19 lymphadenopathy of whom 18 fulfilled the criteria of persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL) as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, (CDC). The patients were investigated immunologically with respect to their in vitro lymphocyte reactivity to various mitogens. The patients with AIDS and pre-AIDS belonged to the group of 8 patients with low response to mitogens. Blood helper T cell percentages and serum beta 2-microglobulin concentrations correlated with the PHA reactivity. Three patients, with the diagnoses AIDS, pre-AIDS and PGL respectively, had clinical signs of oral candidiasis with rich growth of Candida albicans in culture. These were all low responders to mitogen stimulation. Six cases of tinea pedis were diagnosed and seemed to be distributed among the patients irrespectively of the severity of their immunological disorders.