title: Retrovirus-elicited interleukin-12 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha as inducers of interferon-gamma-mediated pathology in mouse AIDS.
abstract: Spleen cells from mice resistant or sensitive to mouse acquired immune deficiency syndrome (MAIDS) were examined for cytokine mRNA. In MAIDS-resistant BALB/c mice, cytokine transcripts peaked at 1 week after infection with Type 1 cytokines [interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-12], dominating over Type 2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10). Expression of cytokines other than IL-2 later declined to levels seen in uninfected mice. In MAIDS-sensitive B6 mice, transcripts for all cytokines were increased at 1 week and, except for IL-2, increased progressively. Spontaneous production of IFN-gamma protein was associated with enhanced mRNA expression at 1 week after infection of either strain, but none was detectable in association with even higher levels of transcripts at later times after infection of B6 mice. Spleen cells from longer-term-infected B6 mice, however, produced substantial amounts of IFN-gamma following treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or IL-12. Inclusion of anti-IL-12 or anti-TNF-alpha antibodies blocked induction of IFN-gamma by LPS. Induction of IFN-gamma by IL-12 was potentiated by TNF-alpha following stimulation of intact spleen cells and purified CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, as well as negatively selected CD4-8- cells from infected B6 mice. Further studies showed that IFN-gamma knockout mice on a B6 background developed MAIDS with a prolonged time-course, whereas BALB/c knockout mice were unchanged in their resistance to MAIDS. These studies suggest that continuing low-level expression of IFN-gamma, stimulated by IL-12 and TNF-alpha, contributes to the susceptibility of B6 mice to MAIDS but is not required for the resistance of BALB/c mice to disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopathology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0760, USA.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Gazzinelli
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Actor
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Morawetz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarzotti
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Morse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma