Interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 production among HIV-1-infected and uninfected infants of HIV-1-infected mothers.
Immunologic consequences of exposure to HIV-1 in utero are still poorly understood. This study investigates relationships between type-1 [interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)] and type-2 (IL-10) cytokine production and maternal-infant HIV-1 transmission. Cord blood leukocytes from deliveries of 71 HIV-1-infected and 11 uninfected mothers were tested for in vitro IFN-gamma and IL-10 production after phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation. The infants of these HIV-1-infected mothers were followed prospectively after birth to determine HIV vertical transmission, and IFN-gamma and IL-10 production was measured again at 6 mo. Median PHA-stimulated IFN-gamma production was 210 pg/mL in cord blood cells from infected and 73 pg/mL from uninfected mothers (p = 0.12), and median PHA-stimulated IL-10 production was 491 pg/mL in cord blood cells from infected and 161 pg/mL from uninfected mothers (p = 0.004). PHA-stimulated IFN-gamma and IL-10 production alone were not significantly associated with transmission, but relationships between the two cytokines differed among infected and uninfected infants of HIV-1-infected mothers. PHA-stimulated IFN-gamma and IL-10 production was positively correlated among infected (r = 0.7, p = 0.12 in cord blood and r = 0.66, p = 0.03 at 6 mo) but not uninfected infants, and stronger relative production of IFN-gamma to IL-10 was observed among exposed uninfected than among infected infants (p = 0.04). Exposure in utero to HIV-1 may augment production of IL-10 detectable in fetal cord blood. Stronger relative production of IFN-gamma to IL-10 in cord blood cells from infants of HIV-1-infected mothers may be associated with protection against perinatal HIV infection.
Kuhn
L
L
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Division of Epidemiology, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. lk24@columbia.edu
Coutsoudis
A
A
Moodley
D
D
Mngqundaniso
N
N
Trabattoni
D
D
Shearer
G M
GM
Clerici
M
M
Coovadia
H M
HM
D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D019562:Viral Load
D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma