Wounded.Bird@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org (Wounded Bird) (02/23/90)
I am starting to have some blood problems (white count down to 1.6) and some
throat infections that no one seems to be able to diagnose or treat. We got a
t4 helper/supressor test for Feb and I have one back from May. Is there someone
knowledgeable in this area that would be willing to explain what is happening
from these two test results. My doctors just don't seem to want to take the
time or consider it a waste of time to try and explain things to me. Could it
be they don't know what the shit means either? <grin>
Anyway, if there is someone out there, I will then post the gory numbers. Maybe
others might benefit from the analysis.
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Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!135!38!Wounded.Bird
Internet: Wounded.Bird@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.orgWounded.Bird@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org (Wounded Bird) (03/02/90)
-> WB> "Living With Aids" by Tom O'Connor. I understand what a low
-> WB> helper/suppressor ratio means but I don't have any idea
>while i'm researching your results; tell me more about the above
Helper T cells (T4) do not fight pathogens directly but instead direct the
immune system's troops. A helper T cell primed by a macrophage produces
substances that attracts more helpers and other kinds of T cells to the site
of infection and causes them to multiply. Meanwhile the original helper T cell
keeps on attracting new macrophages. These ingest more pathogens and produce
more substances that attract still more macrophages and T cells, an so on in a
chain reaction........
Once macrophages and helper and killer T cells ward off an invader, the large
amount of regulatory substances that these cells produced in the effort
trigger into action another kind of lymphocyte, the supressor T cell (T8).
Supressor T cells deactivate the army of primed immune cells, thus preventing
them from turning against the healthy cells of the body.
Normally, there should be at least 2 helper T cells for every supressor.
(National Health Labs indicates a normal range of between 1.35 - 2.76). The
proportion is reversed in people with AIDS or ARC. Note that mine was last .2
to 1.
As HIV infection progresses, the increasing infected helper T cells most
likely keep on producing substances that regulate the functions of other immune
cells. The lock-and-key mechanisms of these infected cells are damaged,
however, preventing the cell contact for effective immune regulation. Yet the
large amount of regulatory chemicals in the blood tell the supressor (T8)it's
time to quiet things down. The infected helper T cells, however, cannot be
calmed down. Like blind, deaf, and numb individuals screaming for help, they
cannot tell that the suppressors have come to their aid. They will keep
screaming until they die, and the number of suppressors will keep on growing
until they turn off other healthy and uninfected helper T cells. Immunity will
deteriorate.....
Helper T cells also initiate the production of antibodies by the B lymphocytes,
activating them through lock-and-key mechanisms and stimulatory
substances.............In AIDS, however, the antibody production is out of
sync. B cells produce either too few necessary antibodies or too many
unnecessary ones. Some of the antibodies produced in abnormally high quantities
may be directed against hepler T cells to levels observed in full-blown AIDS.
The above was freely extracted from "Living with Aids" by Tom O'Connor - Corwin
Publishers, San Francisco without permission - so shoot me <grin>.
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