CYTOKINE EXPRESSION OF HIV-INFECTED MONOCYTES MACROPHAGES AT THE SINGLE-CELL LEVEL/

Monocytes of healthy donors were infected with HIV1 in vitro: 14-21 da ys after infection 50-70 % of the cells produced p24 HIV1 antigen as d etected with anti-p24 immunostaining; infected cultures showed enhance d secretion of interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8) and tumour nec rosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). The expression of cytokines on the sin gle-cell level was further analysed by in situ hybridization using non -radioactive digoxigenin for detection. HIV1 (p24(+))-producing cells were compared with non-HIV (p24(-))-producing cells. All morphological subtypes of macrophages showed HIV production; no difference in cytok ine expression was observed. Immunocytochemistry of HIV-infected and u ninfected cultures also showed no difference in the pattern of IL1-bet a, IL6, IL8 and TNF-alpha protein expression in the cells.