A. Lachgar et B. Bizzini, CONTRIBUTION OF ALPHA-INTERFERON (ALPHA-IFN) TO HIV-INDUCED IMMUNOSUPPRESSION, Cellular and molecular biology, 41(3), 1995, pp. 431-437
In the present investigation we have shown that PBLs taken from HIV-po
sitive patients suppressed T-cell proliferation when cultured for at l
east 12 days. When infected In vitro with HIV-1, these cells become su
ppressive after 6 days. PBLs collected from seronegative individuals t
urned out to be non-suppressive even after prolonged culturing. Howeve
r, when infected in vitro with HIV they were found to be cytostatic al
so after 6 days. This anti-immune activity, related to HIV infection,
is mediated, at least in part, by alpha IFN, since about 50% of this H
IV associated activity could be quenched by alpha IFN antibodies. We a
lso showed that this T-cell cytostasis is associated with CD8(+) cells
. In view of a possible use of suppressive cells for T-cell vaccinatio
n, we verified that such cellular functions were abolished by aldehyde
treatment.