Apoptosis evident at lower levels in HIV-2 than in HIV-1.

Apoptosis or programmed cell death occurs at lower levels in asymptomatic patients with HIV-2 infection compared with those infected with HIV-1, according to a report from Portugal.

Recent evidence suggests that T-cell apoptosis could be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection, and could play a role in the evolution of AIDS.

HIV-2 is a retrovirus with a high prevalence in Western African countries, and is extremely rare in the U.S. and Europe, with the exception of Portugal, where it is responsible for 10 percent of the reported AIDS cases.

Although HIV-2 is capable of producing a spectrum of diseases similar to HIV-1 infection, it has been widely …