title: Dexamethasone inhibits CD4 T cell deletion mediated by macrophages from human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons.
abstract: Prednisolone slows the loss of CD4 T cells in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and inhibits antigen-induced apoptosis of recently HIV-infected CD4 cells in vitro. This study investigated whether dexamethasone inhibits the ability of macrophages to delete CD4 T cells via anti-CD4 antibody or immune-complexed HIV envelope protein gp120. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-negative persons were incubated with CD4-reactive ch412 monoclonal antibody or with gp120/IgG immune complexes and resident macrophages, with and without dexamethasone. Dexamethasone inhibited CD4 cell deletion in a dose-dependent manner. The deletion of normal CD4 cells by macrophages from HIV-infected patients also was inhibited by dexamethasone. Furthermore, up-regulation of CD95 expression on T cells exposed to anti-CD4 and gp120/IgG, which predisposes T cells to CD95-mediated apoptosis, is inhibited by dexamethasone in a dose-dependent fashion. Dexamethasone inhibits the macrophage-mediated deletion of CD4 lymphocytes in HIV-infected persons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA. thorsten.orlikowski@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Orlikowsky
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dudhane
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Dannecker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niethammer
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Wormser
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019014:fas Receptor; D003907:Dexamethasone