Reduced type 1 and type 2 cytokines in antiviral memory T helper function among women coinfected with HIV and HCV.
Bias in cytokine responses has been proposed as a contributing mechanism to pathogenesis in persistent HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. We investigated whether coinfection with HCV modifies the profile of antigen-specific cytokine secretion in women persistently infected with HIV compared to women with single HIV or HCV infection. The T helper response to HIV, HCV and cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a positive viral control was dominated by type 1 cytokines (interleukin- [IL] 2, interferon- [IFN] gamma and tumor necrosis factor- [TNF] alpha), with IFN-gamma as the most abundantly secreted. IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 were low in healthy controls and patients. Robust CMV-specific responses contrasted with curtailed HCV-specific responses in HCV-infected women. The overall anti-viral profile was dominated by Th1 cytokines even in coinfected women but both type 1 and type 2 responses were reduced in HIV-infected women and more extensively in women with HCV/HIV coinfection.
Villacres
Maria C
MC
Maternal, Child and Adolescent Center for Infectious Diseases and Virology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 99033, USA. villacre@usc.edu.
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D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines