Fryburg D A, Mark R J, Griffith B P, Askenase P W, Patterson T F
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Yale J Biol Med. 1995 Jan-Apr;68(1-2):19-23.
Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are characterized by a decrease in the number of T helper cells, a defect that is linked to the impaired immunologic competence. Vitamin A and its dietary precursor, beta-carotene, increase absolute T helper cell counts as well as indices of T cell function in both human and animal models. To determine if short-term beta-carotene treatment affects T lymphocyte subsets in patients with AIDS, a single-blind, non-randomized clinical trial of beta-carotene was performed in seven patients with AIDS. Enrollment criteria included no evidence of: a) active opportunistic infection: b) greater than 1 kilogram change in weight in the month preceding enrollment; c) chronic diarrhea or malabsorption; and d) hepatic disease or significant anemia. Beta-carotene was given with meals in two divided doses of 60 mg/day for four weeks; this was followed by no therapy for six weeks. Samples for total white blood cell, lymphocyte and T lymphocyte subset counts were measured at baseline, at the end of four weeks of treatment and another six weeks after treatment had stopped. P24 antigen, beta-2 microglobulin and liver function tests were also measured. All subjects tolerated the treatment well without evidence of toxicity. In response to beta-carotene, total lymphocyte counts rose by 66 percent (.05 < p < .10), and CD4+ cells rose slightly, but insignificantly, in the entire group. In all three of the patients who had baseline CD4+ cells greater than 10/microliters, however, the mean absolute increase in CD4+ cells in response to beta-carotene was 53 +/- 10 cells/microliters (p < .01). Six weeks off beta-carotene treatment, the absolute CD4+ cell count returned to pretreatment levels (p < .01). No change was observed in CD8+ cells. P24 antigen and beta-2 microglobulin did not change during treatment. These preliminary observations suggest that short-term treatment with beta-carotene may increase CD4+ cell counts in patients with AIDS who have greater than 10 cells/microliters.
获得性免疫缺陷综合征（艾滋病）患者的特征是辅助性T细胞数量减少，这一缺陷与免疫能力受损有关。在人类和动物模型中，维生素A及其膳食前体β-胡萝卜素可增加辅助性T细胞的绝对数量以及T细胞功能指标。为了确定短期β-胡萝卜素治疗是否会影响艾滋病患者的T淋巴细胞亚群，对7名艾滋病患者进行了一项β-胡萝卜素单盲、非随机临床试验。入选标准包括无以下证据：a）活动性机会性感染；b）入选前一个月体重变化超过1公斤；c）慢性腹泻或吸收不良；d）肝脏疾病或严重贫血。β-胡萝卜素随餐分两次服用，每次60毫克/天，共四周；之后六周不进行治疗。在基线、治疗四周结束时以及治疗停止六周后，对全血细胞、淋巴细胞和T淋巴细胞亚群计数进行采样检测。还检测了P24抗原、β2微球蛋白和肝功能。所有受试者对治疗耐受性良好，无毒性证据。在β-胡萝卜素治疗后，全组淋巴细胞总数上升了66%（0.05 < p < 0.10），CD4+细胞略有上升，但无统计学意义。然而，在所有三名基线CD4+细胞大于10/微升的患者中，β-胡萝卜素治疗后CD4+细胞的平均绝对增加量为53±10个细胞/微升（p < 0.01）。停止β-胡萝卜素治疗六周后，CD4+细胞绝对计数恢复到治疗前水平（p < 0.01）。CD8+细胞未观察到变化。治疗期间P24抗原和β2微球蛋白未发生变化。这些初步观察结果表明，短期β-胡萝卜素治疗可能会使CD4+细胞计数大于10个细胞/微升的艾滋病患者的CD4+细胞数量增加。
