Differential production of interleukin 10 during human immunodeficiency virus infection

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1996 Aug 10;12(12):1141-9. doi: 10.1089/aid.1996.12.1141.

Abstract

Interleukin 10, a product of T and B cells and monocytes, displays many Th2-like properties through inhibition of Th1 cell functions. Interleukin 10 is thought to play a major role in the immune dysfunction seen in HIV-infected individuals. In this study, we evaluated in detail the production of IL-10 during HIV infection. Although the constitutive production of IL-10 did not differ in PBMCs from healthy donors and HIV-infected individuals, IL-10 was differentially produced in response to polyclonal activators. The overall plasma IL-10 levels were similar in 32 controls and 67 patients at different stages of the disease and receiving different antiretroviral drugs. However, patients with low CD4 T cell count (< 200/mm3) secreted approximately three-fold more IL-10 than did patients with high CD4 T cell count (> 500/mm3). Competitive/quantitative PCR revealed similar levels of mRNA expression in PBMCs from controls and HIV-infected individuals. In vitro HIV infection rapidly and transiently induced IL-10 production in PBMCs and monocytes, and the low level of endogenously secreted IL-10 failed to inhibit HIV replication in acutely infected monocytes. On the other hand, HIV infection of selected CD4+ T cell clones generated in a Th1- or Th2-like environment, differentially up-regulated IL-10 production, with significantly higher production by Th2 clones. Together, our data indicate that IL-10 production is more complex than previously thought, and may depend on several factors such as producer cells, nature of the stimuli, as well as viral isolates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • HIV Infections / blood*
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-10 / blood*
  • Interleukin-10 / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Interleukin-10