6th International AIDS Conference San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:333 (abstract no. 1079)
Bentwich Z, Meshorer A, Rubinstein J, Weisman Z; R. Ben Ari Institute of Clinical Immunology, Kaplan Hospital, Hebrew University Medical School, Rehovot, Israel

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of sperm on induction and course of murine AIDS (MAIDS).

METHODS: Disease was induced by viruses obtained from cell line LP-BM5-Scl in male C57BL/6J, B10A, ATL and ATH strains. Allogeneic sperm cells (1-3 x 10(7)) were injected intravenously and intrarectally prior to and following the viral inoculations.

RESULTS: Marked prolonged suppression of splenocytes proliferation to mitogens and allogeneic stimulation as well as splenomegaly were observed following a single intravenous sperm injection. When suboptimal amounts of virus preparations not sufficient to induce MAIDS were used, disease developed only in those animals injected with sperm in addition to the virus. Sperm injections did not help in inducing disease in animals of MAIDS resistant strains. Intrarectal inoculation of virus was found to induce disease only after traumatizing the rectal mucosa. Under these circumstances additional intrarectal inoculation of sperm did not seem to influence the course or induction of MAIDS, in distinction to the effects seen by i.v. injections.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that sperm may function as a cofactor of MAIDS induction probably by its general immunomodulating effects and possibly also by its functions as a vector. This has a clear relevance to the pathogenesis of human AIDS and probably also to the increased risk of HIV infection associated with receptive and traumatic anal sex.

900620
1079

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.