INVOLVEMENT OF ALPHA-INTERFERON IN HIV-1 INDUCED IMMUNOSUPPRESSION - A POTENTIAL TARGET FOR AIDS PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT

Since the immune system is impaired in the course of HIV-infection, th e purpose of any AIDS vaccine therapy should be the restoration in the patient of an adequate immunocompetence to enable him to respond to t he antigenic stimulus represented by the virus. In the present investi gation we have shown the antiproliferative action on activated T-cells in culture of: sera taken from HIV-infected, but not seronegative ind ividuals; T lymphocytes taken from seronegative subjects and infected in vitro with HIV but not non infected cells; native alpha-IFN and the time-dependent inactivation of this activity by formaldehyde treatmen t of alpha-IFN. Thus is confirmed the major contribution provided by a lpha-IFN to the immunosuppression occurring in the course of HIV-infec tion. These results also strongly support the new AIDS vaccine therapy strategy based on the administration to HIV-infected patients of inac tivated, but still immunogenic alpha-IFN. To the alpha-IFN treatment c ould also be combined the administration of fixed autologous suppressi ve cells. The induction of gamma-IFN in addition to alpha-IFN producti on by stimulation of cells from healthy donors with gp120 should encou rage the use of a vaccine combining both inactivated alpha-IFN and gam ma-IFN. On the other hand, the IL-12 cytokine with its potential to re store compromised cell-mediated functions associated with HIV infectio n should also be a valuable adjuvant treatment.