Improvement of lymphocyte proliferation in human immunodeficiency virus infection after recombinant interleukin-2 treatment

In this study, the effect of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) on the funct ion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from human immunodeficienc y virus (HIV)-infected patients was examined. Using polymerase chain reacti on (PCR), an impaired ability of PBMC from 8 patients to respond upon mitog en stimulation with expression of IL-2 and IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was found compared with healthy donors (p = 0.02 an d p = 0.05, respectively), Flow cytometry was used to determine the express ion of p55 interleukin-2 a-receptor (CD25) after phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)- stimulation. Induced CD25 expression in response to stimulation aas lower i n patient cells than in donor cells (in CD4(+) (p = 0.01) and in CD8(+) (p = 0.03)), After rIL-2 treatment, the functionality of ex vivo expanded PBMC from patients was restored to the level found in donors. Finally, the indu ced gene expressions for IL-2 and IL-2R were positively correlated (p < 0.0 001), suggesting that the activation of the IL-2 and IL-2R genes in humans may share a common activation pathway, as has been found in monkeys infecte d by simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). These results indicate the existe nce of a reversible IL-2 and IL-2R defect at the pretranscriptional or tran scriptional level in PBMC from patients. This may help explain the T-cell a nergy found during HIV-infection.