title: HIV infection of placental macrophages: effect on the secretion of HIV stimulatory cytokines.
abstract: Vertical transmission of HIV-1 can occur at three different stages: during gestation, delivery and breast feeding. To determine the role of cytokines in vertical transmission of HIV during gestation, we studied the secretion of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and IL-6 from in vitro infected and Mock-infected placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) in comparison to blood monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Hofbauer cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) secreted lower levels of HIV stimulatory cytokines (6-8 ng/ml) in the supernatants than MDM (26 ng/ml, p<0.005). Cytokine levels in MDM decreased upon HIV infection to 7 ng/ml. IL-6 was the major cytokine produced after LPS stimulation by the two cell populations (p<0.005), being MDM the major cytokine producer. In vitro infection studies with a M-tropic virus (HIV-BaL) indicated that MDM were 10x more susceptible to HIV than placental macrophages (p=0.001). Our results indicate that although macrophages from term placenta secrete lower amount of HIV stimulatory cytokines than MDM, there was no correlation between the levels of cytokines and HIV production by both cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, 00936-5067, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plaud-Valentin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zorrilla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gandia
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Meléndez-Guerrero
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D009195:Peroxidase; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009195:Peroxidase