Relationship between Load of Virus in Alveolar Macrophages from Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Persons, Production of Cytokines, and Clinical Status

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1994-01, Vol.169 (1), p.18-27
• Main Authors: Madero, Juan G. Sierra, Toossi, Zahra, Hom, David L., Finegan, Candace K., Hoenig, Eric, Rich, Elizabeth A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Adult; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Chickenpox; Cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - genetics; DNA Primers - chemistry; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases - biosynthesis; HIV 1; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - metabolism; HIV Infections - microbiology; HIV-1 - immunology; human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Infections; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-1 - genetics; Interleukin-6 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Lymphocytes; Macrophages, Alveolar - metabolism; Macrophages, Alveolar - microbiology; Major Articles; Male; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Monocytes - metabolism; Monocytes - microbiology; Polymerase chain reaction; Pulmonary Alveoli - pathology; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes - microbiology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Varicella zoster encephalitis; Viruses
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/169.1.18

The level of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes (MP) from the blood and pulmonary alveoli from 14 HIV-1-infected subjects during early (asymptomatic) and late (AIDS) stages of disease and the relationship between virus burden in MP and cytokine expression were assessed. Among asymptomatic subjects, HIV-1 was undetectable or low in both blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM). Among subjects with AIDS, there was a significant increase of HIV-1 in AM but not monocytes. The level of HIV-1 in blood lymphocytes was higher than in either monocytes or AM. AM (but not monocytes) expressed increased levels of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine mRNA (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6) during both early and late stages of HIV-1 infection regardless of virus load. AM thus may serve as a reservoir for virus in late stages of disease yet contribute to the immunopathogenesis of lung disease in both early and late stages through increased cytokine expression.