Short communication: Lack of immune response in rapid progressor morphine-dependent and SIV/SHIV-infected rhesus macaques is correlated with downregulation of TH1 cytokines.
Our previous studies have shown two distinct disease patterns (rapid and normal onset of clinical symptoms) in morphine-dependent SHIV/SIV-inoculated rhesus macaques. We have also shown that control as well as 50% of morphine-dependent macaques (normal progressor) developed humoral and cellular immune responses whereas the other half of the morphine-dependent macaques (rapid progressor) did not develop antiviral immune responses after infection with SIV/SHIV. In the present study, we analyzed the association between cytokine production, immune response, and disease progression. To study the immunological effects of morphine at cytokine levels in the context of a lentiviral infection, we inoculated rhesus macaques with a mixture of SHIV(KU-18), SHIV(89.6)P, and SIV/17E-Fr. These animals were followed for a period of 56 weeks for cytokine level production in plasma. Drug-dependent rapid disease progressors exhibited an increase in IL-18 and IL-1Ra and a decrease in IL-12 levels in the plasma. Morphine-dependent normal progressors and control macaques exhibited an increase in both IL-18 and IL-12, whereas IL-Ra levels remained constant throughout the observation period. These results suggest that rapid disease progression in relation to morphine dependency may be the result of an altered cytokine profile.
Rivera-Amill
Vanessa
V
AIDS Research Program, Ponce School of Medicine, Ponce, Puerto Rico 00732-7004, USA. vrivera@psm.edu
Kumar
Rakesh
R
Noel
Richard J
RJ
Garcia
Yashira
Y
Rodriguez
Idia V
IV
Martinez
Melween
M
Sariol
Carlos A
CA
Kraiselburd
Edmundo
E
Iszard
Marcus
M
Mukherji
Mridul
M
Kumar
Santosh
S
Giavedoni
Luis D
LD
Kumar
Anil
A
D000818:Animals; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000276:immunology*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology
D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12