Recombinant gp120 induces IL-10 in resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells; correlation with the induction of other cytokines

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Abstract
Immutiological abnotmalities present in HIV‐1‐infected individuals often reflect an imbalance of cytokine production. The HIV‐I gpl20 has the ability to induce a number of cytokines, and to enhance immunoglobulin release by normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro, in the absence of IL‐2 production and of lymphoproliferation. This study provides evidence that gpl20 is a potent IL‐10 inducer in normal PBMC cultures. The pattern of other cytokines induced by gp 120 includes interferon‐alpha (IFN‐a) and IFN‐γ, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), IL‐6, IL‐Iα2 and IL‐β, and not IL‐2 and IL‐4. These findings further define the pattern of cytokine release induced by gpl20 on human resting PBMC. Furthermore, the present findings roughly parallel those observed both in the sera of patients and in the mononuclear cells from HIV+ individuals early after infection, suggesting that gpl20 could be a good candidate as one of the agents responsible for cytokine dysregulation observed in HIV‐1‐infected individuals.