[Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, chronic coccidiosis and Salmonella typhimurium septicemia in a couple from Zaire. Immunological functions and attempt at immunostimulation by thymopentin].

A clinical review of a young couple from Zaïre with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is reported. Both had opportunistic infections such as Salmonella typhimurium septicemia, genital herpes and digestive candidiasis. The husband was hospitalized for diarrhea from Isospora belli infection and for hemoptysis from an aspergilloma. His wife was admitted for a thoracic herpes zoster infection and left hemiplegia preceding subacute encephalitis. In both patients the biological immune functions were compatible with AIDS: presence of antibody against lymphadenopathy virus, decreased in OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio, and lack of lymphocyte response to mitogens which was partially restored in vitro after addition of interleukin 2 and thymopentin (TP-5) in the husband. In vitro monocyte cultures showed increased production of prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and a slight decrease in interleukin 1 production. The symptomatic treatments and an attempt at immunostimulation with TP-5 in the husband are described.