Chehimi J, Frank I, Llanes C, Wolf S, Trinchieri G, Starr S; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21; 7: 158 (abstract no. W.A.1264).
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
OBJECTIVE: NKSF, a new cytokine, is a 70 kD-heterodimeric protein purified by Kobayashi et al (J Exp Med, 1989, 170:827-845), which induces IFN-gamma production, augments NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and enhances the mitogenic response of T cells to lectins and phorbol diesters. We investigated the effects of NKSF on NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in patients with AIDS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PBMC of 24 patients with AIDS, representing all CDC clinical stages, and normal control donors were incubated in the presence of recombinant NKSF (1-2 U/ml) or r-IL2 (100-500 U/ml) for 18 h. PBMC were then washed and used as effector cells in a 4 h 51Cr-release assays with K562 target cells. RESULTS: NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was augmented by incubating PBMC from patients with AIDS in the presence of NKSF. The enhancement was more pronounced in patients with full blown AIDS (from an average of 4.5% specific 51Cr-release with untreated lymphocytes to an average of 52% with NKSF-treated lymphocytes) than in patients falling into other CDC groups (from 15.5% to 45%), or normal control donors (from 45% to 58%). 100-500 U/ml of r-IL2 were required to achieve similar effects. CONCLUSIONS: NKSF, at very low concentrations (1-2 U/ml, 3-6 pM) significantly augmented NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity of AIDS patients. Similar effects were observed with IL2 at much higher concentrations (100-500 U/ml, 2-10 nM). In view of the potent immunomodulatory effects of NKSF, additional in-vitro experiments, relevant to the possible use of NKSF in AIDS patients, are warranted.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Cytokines
- Humans
- Interleukin-12
- Interleukin-2
- Lymphocytes
- T-Lymphocytes
Other ID:
UI: 102192472
From Meeting Abstracts