B cells in the pathogenesis of AIDS

In this article, Susan Zolla-Pazner argues that the etiologic agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome may infect both B cells and T cells. An infection which activates B cells could alter immunological homeostasis, inducing the activation of suppressor T lymphocytes which impair helper T-cell activity. If the same lymphotrophic agent that infects B cells also destroys helper T cells, the abnormalities of both these sub-populations which are observed in AIDS are readily explained.