-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Sarah C. Sasson, John J. Zaunders, Giulia Zanett, Eleanor M. King, Kate M. Merlin, Don E. Smith, Keith K. Stanley, David A. Cooper, Anthony D. Kelleher, Increased Plasma Interleukin-7 Level Correlates with Decreased CDl27 and Increased CD132 Extracellular Expression on T Cell Subsets in Patients with HN-1 Infection, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 193, Issue 4, 15 February 2006, Pages 505–514, https://doi.org/10.1086/499309
Close - Share Icon Share
Abstract
Background. Interleukin (IL)-7 levels are increased in patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (H1V-l)-associated lymphopenia; however, the effects of this on IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) expression, disease progression, and immune reconstitution remain unclear.
Methods. Plasma IL-7 levels were measured, by enzyme-linked immunoassay, in patients with primary, chronic, or long-term nonprogressive HIV-1 infection (PHI, CHI, and LTNP, respectively) before and after 40–48 weeks of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Cell-surface expression and intracellular expression of the IL-7R components CD127 and CD132 were measured by flow cytometry. The effects of IL-7 and cycloheximide on IL-7R expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells were examined in vitro.
Results. Plasma IL-7 levels were increased in both patients with PHI and those with CHI; administration of ART resulted in normalized plasma IL-7 levels in patients with PHI but not in those with CHI. Plasma IL-7 levels positively correlated with CD4+ T cell immune reconstitution in patients with PHI. In vitro, exogenous IL-7 rapidly down-regulated cell-surface CD127 expression, but not CD132 expression, whereas subsequent reexpression required active protein synthesis. HIV-1 infection resulted in progressive decreases in the CD127+13− subset and increases in the CD127−132+ subset of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Changes in CD4+ T cell expression of IL-7R components were evident in patients with LTNP who lost viral control, and these changes preceded increases in plasma IL-7 levels.
Conclusions. Perturbations in the IL-7/IL-7R system were clearly associated with disease progression but did not reliably predict immune reconstitution.
