Lymphadenopathic and oropharyngeal Kaposi's sarcoma in a drug addict with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Immunological abnormalities in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissue.

Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in peripheral blood and lymph nodes from a drug-addict with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) presenting with disseminated lymphadenopathic and oropharyngeal Kaposi's sarcoma. At the onset of disease, hypergammaglobulinemia, increase of OKT8+ T cell subset and reversal of OKT4/OKT8 ratio were found in the blood. At the same time, lymph nodes displayed, besides Kaposi's sarcoma, marked follicular hyperplasia, plasmocytosis and increase of OKT8+/Leu 2a+ T cells within follicular centers. These results are interpreted to indicate that at an early stage of disease the major tissue alterations took place within follicular centers and consisted of both B cell activation and T suppressor cell reaction. These changes correlated with immunological abnormalities observed in peripheral blood. Immunohistochemical investigation of lymphoid tissue may be useful to detect AIDS patients at an early stage.