Higher macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta levelsfrom CD8(+) T cells are associated with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection

To test the hypothesis that beta -chemokine levels may be relevant to the c ontrol of HN in vivo, we compared RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, and MIP-1 beta produ ction from purified CD8(+) T cells from 81 HIV-infected subjects and from 2 8 uninfected donors. Asymptomatic HIV+ subjects produced significantly high er levels of MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta, but not RANTES, than uninfected do nors or patients that progressed to AIDS. In contrast, beta chemokines in p lasma were either nondetectable or showed no correlation with clinical stat us. The high beta -chemokine-mediated anti-HIV activity was against the mac rophage tropic isolate HIV-1(BAL), with no demonstrable effect on the repli cation of the T-cell tropic HIV-1(IIIB) These findings suggest that constit utive beta -chemokine production may play an important role in the outcome of HIV-1 infection.