title: Suppression of LPS-inducible cytotoxicity in cytomegalovirus-infected THP-1 monocytic cell cultures does not correlate with a decrease in TNF-alpha antigen.
abstract: We document suppression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-associated cytotoxic activity in a human monocytic cell line (THP-1) infected with the mycoplasma free human cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain AD169. Addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to cell cultures that had been infected with CMV for 24 h resulted in a significant reduction in released cytotoxic activity to mouse L929 cells at 3-22 h post-LPS compared with mock-infected cultures. However, using an ELISA to measure TNF-alpha antigen levels in these culture supernatants, we found infected cultures had significantly higher TNF-alpha antigen levels than in mock-infected cultures following LPS induction. CMV alone also induced TNF-alpha release and possibly TNF-alpha inhibitor(s) which may have blocked TNF-alpha associated cytotoxic activity in CMV-infected THP-1 cell culture supernatants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 54702.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Turtinen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tester
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Flug
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000254:growth & development; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha