title: Thalidomide's ability to augment the synthesis of IL-2 in vitro in HIV-infected patients is associated with the percentage of CD4+ cells in their blood.
abstract: Thalidomide is used for treating erythema nodosum leprosum. It is also used to treat aphthous ulcers in HIV-infected patients. The mechanism of action of this drug is yet to be fully understood, but modulation of inflammatory cytokines like IL-2 and TNF-alpha may play a role. We investigated the effect of thalidomide on the production of IL-2 and TNF-alpha by staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV-infected patients. The PBMC from 20 patients was incubated in the presence of 4.0 microg/ml of thalidomide and 50 ng/ml of SEA. After 18 h, the culture supernatant was assayed for IL-2 and TNF-alpha. The PBMC incubated with thalidomide and SEA produced significantly more IL-2 than those incubated with SEA alone. The TNF-alpha secreted by the same cells incubated with thalidomide and SEA was not significantly different from that secreted by the cells incubated with SEA alone. The amount of IL-2 produced in the thalidomide and SEA treated cultures was directly correlated with the percentage of CD4+ cells in blood, and inversely correlated with the percentage of CD8+ cells in blood. No statistically significant correlations were found when comparing the amount of TNF-alpha produced in the thalidomide and SEA treated cultures with the percentage of CD4+ or CD8+ cells in the blood. Thalidomide can act, in vitro, as an additional stimulant to augment the synthesis of IL-2 in HIV-infected patients. Increased production of IL-2 by activated T-cells may be a mechanism through which it exerts its immunomodulatory effects.
authors.affiliation: Gillis W. Long Hansen's Dis. Ctr. Lab, Research Branch at Louisianna State University, Baton Rouge 70894, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aseffa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pankey
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lutz
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013792:Thalidomide