Increased expression of interferon-gamma in hyperplastic lymph nodes from HIV-infected patients.
Polyclonal B cell activation is characteristic of HIV infection and occurs in the presence of severe CD4+ lymphocyte depletion. In contrast, CD4+ lymphocytes are the dominant T cell in the reactive lymphoid tissues of patients not infected with HIV. In this study, lymph node biopsies from eight HIV-infected patients with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy syndrome (PGL) were assessed for IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta) gene expression using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cytokine gene expression of two cases of reactive adenopathy in patients not infected with HIV was assessed for comparison. IFN-gamma was expressed much more strongly in the PGL samples than in control reactive lymphoid tissues, whereas the other cytokines were expressed to a similar extent in both types of tissues. IFN-gamma may have an important role in maintaining the adenopathy of HIV-infected patients. Expression of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in HIV nodes may be adequate to allow the recruitment of naive B cells to the reactive process.
Boyle
M J
MJ
Centre for Immunology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Berger
M F
MF
Tschuchnigg
M
M
Valentine
J E
JE
Kennedy
B G
BG
Divjak
M
M
Cooper
D A
DA
Turner
J J
JJ
Penny
R
R
Sewell
W A
WA
D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015870:Gene Expression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000199:Actins; D007378:Interleukins; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D004247:DNA