title: Impaired induction of the apoptosis-protective protein Bcl-xL in activated PBMC from asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals.
abstract: Progression to AIDS in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals is characterized by a gradual but progressive loss of CD4+ T cells. While the mechanisms underlying this decline are currently unknown, recent evidence suggests that these cells are abnormally sensitive to apoptosis in response to activation signals. Recent work has implicated downregulation of Bcl-2 with the increased spontaneous apoptosis in lymphocytes from HIV-infected patients. We have evaluated the roles of the apoptosis-protective proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in stimulated PBMC from asymptomatic HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals. We found that Bcl-2 was constitutively expressed in PBMC from both HIV-infected and uninfected samples. However, Bcl-x induction was delayed and responses were decreased in stimulated HIV-infected samples. Additionally, single-cell intracellular staining of Bcl-x revealed a significant inverse correlation between PWM-induced Bcl-x expression and apoptosis (r = -0.695, P = 0.05). This was confirmed at the single-cell level in direct experiments when stimulated cells were sorted based on Bcl-x induction and then measured for apoptosis. Furthermore, low Bcl-x expression was not due to reduced lymphocyte activation following PWM stimulation. Our data indicate that the induction of Bcl-x is markedly impaired in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients and that stimuli which induce inadequate expression of Bcl-x are associated with increased levels of apoptosis in these cells.
authors.affiliation: Immune Cell Biology Program, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20889-5607, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Boise
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Perfetto
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McCrary
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: St Louis
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: June
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human