title: Up-regulation of natural killer activity of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients by in vitro-differentiated macrophages.
abstract: Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related complex and asymptomatic individuals seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have depressed natural killer (NK) activity. Normal human macrophages cultured for 3-7 days significantly up-regulated the NK activity of mononuclear cells obtained from the blood of asymptomatic HIV-seropositive individuals and patients with AIDS. Following a 4-hr incubation of patients' cells with in vitro-differentiated macrophages, the greatest augmentation of NK activity was seen in asymptomatic HIV-seropositive individuals who were receiving treatment with azidothymidine. Stimulation of macrophage immunoregulatory activities or adoptive immunotherapy with ex vivo-activated monocytes may be beneficial in HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Herberman
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Whiteside
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*