title: Enhancement of natural killer cell activity in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects by in vitro treatment with biologic response modifier OK-432.
abstract: A decrease in natural killer (NK) cell function has been related to the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In the present study, we assessed the ability of a streptococcus-derived biologic response modifier, OK-432, to augment NK lysis of uninfected K562 and U937 cells and HIV-infected U937 cells by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV-seropositive homosexual men. Optimal two- to fourfold increases in lysis of the three targets were observed after pretreatment of PBMC from HIV-negative subjects for 4 h with 2 micrograms of OK-432 per ml. This effect was related primarily to gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production induced by OK-432 and was not linked to production of tumor necrosis factors alpha and beta or to monocytes in the cultures. The enhancing effect of OK-432 on NK cell function was diminished but still evident in PBMC from subjects with relatively early-phase (< 3-year) HIV infection and high CD4+ cell counts and was lower in subjects with longer-term HIV infection (> 3 years), in association with reduced production of IFN-gamma. Augmentation of NK cell activity in HIV-infected men by OK-432 was comparable to that induced by treatment of cells with 1,000 U of IFN-alpha or interleukin 2 per ml. The data suggest that the NK cell-enhancing effects of OK-432 are at least in part mediated by IFN-gamma and that OK-432 may be effective in treatment of patients with early-phase HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010844:Picibanil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010844:Picibanil; D007371:Interferon-gamma