EFFECT OF GM-CSF ON HIV-1 REPLICATION IN MONOCYTES MACROPHAGES IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO - A REVIEW/

Cells of macrophage lineage constitute the main cellular target of Hum an Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1). Replication of HIV-1 in mono cyte/macrophages is generally augmented by factors promoting their dif ferentiation. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF ) is a key regulator of the differentiation of cells of macrophage lin eage. The effects of GM-CSF on HIV-1 replication in vitro are still co ntroversial. Most of the published studies suggest that GM-CSF upregul ates HIV-1 expression in both primary cultured macrophages and promono cytic cell lines. There have also been reports demonstrating that GM-C SF does not affect HIV-1 replication in cells of macrophage lineage or that GM-CSF can actually suppress HIV-1 expression. In vivo, GM-CSF a dministrated to HIV-positive patients at any stage of disease, without any antiretroviral therapy, appears to increase HIV-1 activity. The p ossible mechanism by which GM-CSF might affect HIV-1 replication in ma crophages remains unclear. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.