Effect of HIV infection on the frequency of cytokine-secreting cells in human peripheral blood.
A selective decrease in type 1 cytokine secretion by in vitro stimulated peripheral blood cells is reportedly associated with disease progression in HIV-infected individuals. To examine whether a similar change in cytokine secretion occurs under physiologic conditions in vivo, sensitive and specific ELIspot assays were used to compare the phenotype and frequency of PBMC spontaneously producing interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in 83 HIV-infected subjects and 60 normal controls. Phenotypic analysis of freshly isolated cytokine-secreting cells showed that T cells were the primary source of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-gamma while CD14+ macrophages/monocytes were the dominant source of IL-10 in vivo. The number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) spontaneously secreting both type 1 and type 2 cytokines was significantly reduced in HIV-infected patients versus controls. The magnitude of this decrease did not correlate with disease severity. Changes in IL-2-secreting cell number correlated with CD4 count, while changes in the frequency of IFN-gamma-secreting cells correlated with disease duration. These findings do not support the contention that a selective reduction in type 1 cytokine production correlates with disease progression.
Hagiwara
E
E
Division of Viral Products, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Sacks
T
T
Leitman-Klinman
S F
SF
Klinman
D M
DM
D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006678:HIV / Q000378:metabolism*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype
D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma