The prognosis of asymptomatic homosexual men with decreased T-helper to T-suppressor ratio.

Screening of 70 asymptomatic homosexual men in Copenhagen revealed that 13 (19%) had T-helper to T-suppressor (H/S) ratios less than or equal to 1.0. Clinical and immunological follow-up examinations for 2-7 months (mean, 5.2 months) disclosed that none of the 13 men developed the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-like symptoms. An increase in H/S ratios to greater than 1.0 was observed in 11 of the 13 men during the time of observation. The decreased H/S ratios were due to an increase in the T-suppressor population. The T-helper population did not at any time differ from that found in 31 male control subjects. The biological relevance of the observed decrease in H/S ratios was supported by the demonstration of a positive correlation to a decrease in the proliferative response of the lymphocytes. Serological studies did not reveal any specific infectious background for the low H/S ratio found in the 13 men, and the reason for the 'spontaneous' increase during the time of observation remains unknown. The present results indicate that most asymptomatic homosexual men with a decreased H/S ratio will experience normalization of the immunological variables.