title: The relationship between tumor necrosis factor and human immunodeficiency virus gene expression in lymphoid tissue.
abstract: In tissue culture models of chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) activate viral gene expression. We sought evidence that TNF-alpha might similarly regulate viral gene expression in vivo in the major lymphoid tissue (LT) reservoir. We used in situ hybridization, quantitative image analysis, and double-label techniques to compare cytokine and HIV-1 RNA levels in sections of tonsil and lymph node tissues obtained from individuals in early and later stages of HIV-1 infection. The levels of TNF-alpha gene expression in LT from HIV-1-infected an uninfected individuals were indistinguishable, and we found no correlation between TNF-alpha gene expression in LT and the level of HIV-1 gene expression in LT. There is thus little evidence that in vivo TNF-alpha significantly influences HIV production in LT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gebhard
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schacker
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D015870:Gene Expression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000821:virology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha