Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
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Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells produce and respond to a variety of cytokines; however, molecular and biochemical studies are restricted by the limited access to large numbers of pure cells and the variability associated with different donor sources. Despite success in establishing primary human RPE (HRPE) cell cultures, the inability to sustain consistent proliferation rates and morphology over several passages remains a concern. This problem was approached by using an immortalized line of simian virus (SV)40 transformed fetal HRPE cells (SVRPE). Cytokine production, receptor expression and responsiveness in the SVRPE cell line was analyzed to determine the usefulness of this model for studying HRPE-cytokine interactions. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), HRPE and SVRPE cells demonstrated an identical pattern of interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R), IL-2R (alpha sub-unit), IL-6R, interferon (IFN)-gamma R and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)R p55 expression. No amplification products for TNFR p75 or granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)R were demonstrated in either population. IFN-gamma stimulation induced surface human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR in both SVRPE and HRPE, while TNF treatment induced surface expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 on SVRPE and upregulated ICAM from basal levels on HRPE. Both cell types showed amplification products for interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 using RT-PCR. The bioassays demonstrated that both populations of unstimulated cells constitutively secrete very low levels of TGF-beta and no IL-6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:SV40-immortalized and primary cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells share similar patterns of cytokine-receptor expression and cytokine responsiveness. 754 67

A candidate HIV subunit vaccine NFU.Ac.HIV[JM] was prepared by detergent and formaldehyde treatment of HIV-infected JM cells. The preparation contained HIV polypeptides at 200, 118, 70, 41 and 24 kD, with reactivity by immunoblotting of approximately fifteen virus-specific polypeptides including polypeptides at 119, 55, 41 and 24 kD, which may represent gp 120, p55, gp41 and p24, respectively. The content of gp120 was estimated to be 5 micrograms/ml. The vaccine was immunogenic in a rabbit, inducing neutralising antibody and reactivity by ELISA and by immunoblotting against a number of HIV polypeptides including those of molecular weights 24, 41, 55 nd 120 kD. The vaccine contained no infectious HIV or reverse transcriptase enzyme activity.
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PMID:Early studies on a candidate intracellular subunit vaccine NFU.Ac.HIV[JM] for prevention and/or modification of HIV-related disease. 769 81

Previous studies have demonstrated that oligodeoxynucleotide phosphorothioates complementary to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA are more nuclease resistant and are effective inhibitors of HIV-1 replication than their unmodified counterpart. In this study, antisense oligodeoxynucleotide sequences were evaluated for therapeutic potential in the treatment of HIV infections. The use of HIV-infected lymphocytes to test the efficacy of a drug is very complex, and therefore it is difficult to draw conclusions about the mechanism. We used a COS-like Monkey kidney cell line (CMT3) stably transfected with plasmids pCMVgagpol-rre-r (containing gag and pol genes) and pCMVrev (containing the rev gene of HIV-1), derived from cDNA clone BH10, as a model. A biologically active provirus that transcribes and translates their nucleotide sequences into viral proteins p24, p39/41, p55, and p160 was generated. Sequence-specific and dose-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 viral protein synthesis and significant inhibition at the mRNA level were demonstrated by antisense construct GPI2A, directed against a nonregulatory region of the HIV-1 genome. Also, our studies demonstrated enhancement of the antisense effect through encapsulation in a cationic lipid preparation. The observed attenuation of HIV-1 mRNA levels suggests that, at least in part, the mechanism of action of GPI2A was at the transcript level. Further studies have also shown antiviral activity of this construct as determined by the reverse transcriptase assay using acutely and chronically infected cells of lymphoid origin (H9 cells). Toxicological studies involving cell growth characteristics, colony-forming ability, effects on cellular proteins, specific activities of labeled proteins, and DNA synthesis in cell culture showed no cytotoxic effects of GPI2A.
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PMID:Sequence-specific inhibition of gene expression by a novel antisense oligodeoxynucleotide phosphorothioate directed against a nonregulatory region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genome. 785 19

The Western blot is the most widely used confirmatory test for determining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity. Specific bands in the Western blot indicate antibody responses to various portions of HIV or its precursors, and each is assigned a score from 0 to 3+. While the precise role of humoral antibody responses has not been fully established, specific antibody responses might influence the course of HIV infection. This study investigated the association between antibody reactivity to nine principal Western blot bands and initial CD4+ counts among 877 Navy and Marine Corps personnel during 1988 to 1991. Multiple regression was used to evaluate the strength and significance of the associations and to adjust for age and estimated duration of infection. Strong antibody responses to the p24 core (P < 0.05), p53 reverse transcriptase (P < 0.005), and p55 core precursor (P < 0.0001) antigens were associated with higher initial CD4+ counts, with 33 to 48 additional cells/mm3 associated with each unit increase in the Western blot score, according to a multiple regression analysis which controlled for age and duration of infection (maximum 24 months). By contrast, antibodies to the gp41 transmembrane antigen (P < 0.0001) were associated with lower initial CD4+ counts. Each unit increase in the gp41 band was associated with 76 fewer CD4+ cells/mm3. A negative association was also observed for the gp160 envelope precursor antigen, with each unit increase in reactivity associated with 51 fewer CD4+ cells, although this association was not statistically significant (P = 0.09).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Specific western blot bands are associated with initial CD4+ lymphocyte counts in human immunodeficiency virus seroconverters. The Navy HIV Working Group. 791 77

The recently discovered cytokine, interleukin-15 (IL-15), has been demonstrated to share several biologic properties with IL-2 in different cell systems, including T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell compartments. As for B lymphocytes, IL-15 has been shown to provide stimulatory activities in normal preactivated B cells that are mainly transduced through IL- 2 receptor (IL-2R) complex components. Since leukemic B cells from patients with chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (CLD) bear IL-2R and grow in response to IL-2, we investigated whether IL-15 triggers the proliferation of malignant B cells obtained from 12 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and five patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Enriched B cells recovered from five healthy subjects were also studied as controls. IL-15 stimulated the proliferation of freshly isolated leukemic B cells, but not resting normal B lymphocytes, the latter being able to grow in the presence of IL-15 only after in vitro preactivation with phorbol myristate acetate. The proliferation elicited by IL-2 on leukemic cells was comparable to that determined by IL-15. Following addition of graded concentrations of IL-15 to low/intermediate-dose IL-2, resting leukemic B cells showed a higher stimulatory rate than that observed using the two cytokines separately. In normal resting B lymphocytes, this cumulative effect was not observed. The role of different IL-2R subunits in IL-15-driven growth of malignant B cells was investigated both by their expression on leukemic cells and by the block of different IL-2R subunits (p55, p75, and p64) with specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs). Using flow cytometry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses we demonstrated that both B-CLL and HCL leukemic B cells express the beta and gamma chains of the IL-2R system. The stimulatory activity achieved by IL-15 decreased significantly, blocking the beta and gamma chains of the IL-2R. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that IL-15 triggers the growth of leukemic B cells through IL-2R system subunits, pointing to the role of this novel cytokine in regulating the neoplastic proliferation in CLD.
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PMID:Interleukin-15 promotes the growth of leukemic cells of patients with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. 860 49

Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is progressive, the rate of decline in CD4+ lymphocyte counts varies. The role of immune system components in limiting HIV infection has yet to be defined, but a previous report on the U.S. Navy HIV Seropositive Cohort reported that strong reactivity in the anti-p55 (core precursor), p24 (core) and p53 (reverse transcriptase) Western blot bands was associated with higher CD4+ lymphocyte counts at the first clinical evaluation for HIV. The previous report examined the cross-sectional association between Western blot banding patterns and initial CD4+ lymphocyte counts. This report examines the association between these banding patterns in individuals who progressed rapidly as compared with patterns of patients who did not, based on their trends in repeated CD4+ lymphocyte counts as a marker of progression. Rapid and slower progressors were identified from a cohort of 3414 Navy and Marine Corps personnel who had a first positive HIV Western blot during 1986-1991. For purposes of this study, rapid progressors were defined as individuals whose CD4+ lymphocyte counts declined to < 500 cells/mm3 within 1 year of seroconversion. A total of 325 individuals met these criteria. A comparison group of 63 slower progressors also was identified; this group consisted of those whose CD4+ lymphocyte counts remained at > or = 500 cells/mm3 for a minimum of 5 years of follow-up after their first positive Western blot. Rapid progressors were slightly younger than slower progressors and were more likely to be never married but did not differ significantly from slower progressors in race or sex. Rapid progressors had weaker reactivity in the anti-p55 core precursor (P < 0.0001), p15 core (P < 0.01), gp41 transmembrane (P < 0.01) and p31 endonuclease (P < 0.05) bands on the Western blot. The odds ratio for rapid progressor status associated with weak or absent reactivity was 7.8 in the anti-p55 band and ranged from 2.0 to 3.2 in the anti-p31, p15, and gp41 bands. These associations remained significant after adjustment for age, race, and sex. The p55 association persisted in repeated Western blots during routine clinical evaluation during a period of 5 years after the first positive Western blot. It was concluded that several possible explanations may account for the weaker reactivity of rapid progressors: (i) weak anti-p55 reactivity might have been a marker of early immune system damage; (ii) high concentrations of p55 or related proteins in the serum may have bound the available anti-p55 antibodies in rapid progressors, making them difficult to identify on the Western blot; or (iii) lack of anti-p55, p15, gp41, or p31 reactivity might have allowed more rapid progression.
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PMID:Western blot banding patterns of HIV rapid progressors in the U.S. Navy Seropositive Cohort: implications for vaccine development. Navy Retroviral Working Group. 887 45

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and Fas-ligand can mediate potent inhibitory signals in haemopoietic cells. Clinical and laboratory studies have suggested the involvement of these cytokines in the regulation of normal haemopoiesis and in the pathophysiology of bone marrow (BM) failure syndromes. As the effects of cytokines may also be regulated at the cellular receptor level, we studied the expression and modulation of TNF receptor (TNFR), IFN-gammaR and Fas-R on haemopoietic progenitor cells. In freshly isolated BM, using flow cytometry, TNFR1 (p55), TNFR2 (p75), IFN-gammaR, and Fas-R were detected on 5-12% of mononuclear cells. Two-colour staining showed comparable receptor expression on a CD34+ population, which includes haemopoietic progenitor and stem cells. Using reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) transcription of mRNA coding for these receptors was demonstrated in fresh, highly purified CD34+ cells. These findings indicate that the effects of these factors on progenitor cells may be directly mediated. In cultured BM cells, expression of TNFR1 was not influenced by IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha or apoptosis-inducing anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb). IFN-gamma decreased CD34+ cell TNFR2 expression. CD34+ cell Fas-R expression was increased by IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. IFN-gammaR expression was enhanced by anti-Fas mAb and to lesser degree with TNF-alpha. Similar results were obtained with RT-PCR analysis in cultured CD34+ cells. Potentiation of anti-Fas mAb-mediated inhibition of haemopoietic colony formation by IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was observed. Similarly, anti-Fas mAb enhanced the inhibitory effects of IFN-gamma. These results suggest that, in addition to interacting at the level of intracellular signalling pathways, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha or Fas-ligand may potentiate or antagonize their effects through modulation of cytokine receptor expression.
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PMID:Expression and modulation of cellular receptors for interferon-gamma, tumour necrosis factor, and Fas on human bone marrow CD34+ cells. 916 2

T-cell mediated cytotoxicity play an important role in the control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The polyclonal cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against target cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing Env, Gag, Nef or reverse transcriptase (RT) proteins has been studied in four groups of individuals: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, AIDS-related complex (ARC) patients, HIV-1 seropositive subjects and seronegative controls. CTL lines have been generated by non-specific stimulation with phytohemagglutinin and interleukin-2 and target cells have been prepared from autologous B lymphocytes. CTL from asymptomatic and ARC individuals recognized most of the various proteins of HIV-1 but those from AIDS patients had very low or absent responses to the majority of proteins, with the anti-Nef cytotoxic activity decreasing first. Two of 10 AIDS patients had demonstrable recognition of Gag p24, one of RT and eight patients had no recognition of any of the proteins. The effector cells were demonstrated to be predominantly of the CD8+ phenotype, using the appropriate monoclonal antibodies. When heterologous target cells were substituted for autologous cells, the cytotoxic response was abrogated in the vast majority of cases demonstrating its human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I restriction. Among the 10 HIV-seronegative subjects, nine had no CTL activity against the various HIV-1 proteins but one subject was able to recognize Env and RT. In the evolution of HIV infection from the seropositive stage to AIDS, CTL polyclonal activities progressively decrease, with Nef responses disappearing first, then Env and Gag p55, followed by RT and Gag p24.
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PMID:Loss of T-cell cytotoxic responses in the course of HIV-1 infection. 949 84

The antiviral activity of a CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clone (TCC108) directed against a newly identified HLA-B14-restricted epitope, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev(67-75) SAEPVPLQL, was analyzed with respect to its kinetics of target cell lysis and inhibition of HIV-1 production. Addition of TCC108 cells or CD8(+) reverse transcriptase-specific CTLs to HLA-matched CD4(+) T cells at different times after infection with HIV-1 IIIB showed that infected cells became susceptible to CTL-mediated lysis before peak virus production but after the onset of progeny virus release. When either of these CTLs were added to part of the infected cells immediately after infection, p55 expression and virus production were significantly suppressed. These data support a model in which CTLs, apart from exerting cytolytic activity which may prevent continued virus release, can interfere with viral protein expression during the eclipse phase via noncytolytic mechanisms. TCC108-mediated inhibition of virus replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells caused rapid selection of a virus with a mutation (69E-->K) in the Rev(67-75) CTL epitope which abolished recognition by TCC108 cells. Taken together, these data suggest that both cytolytic and noncytolytic antiviral mechanisms of CTLs can be specifically targeted to HIV-1-infected cells.
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PMID:Kinetics of antiviral activity by human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and rapid selection of CTL escape virus in vitro. 965 34

The intact cervicovaginal mucosa is a relative barrier to the sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) macaque model of HIV infection, seronegative transient viremia (STV; virus isolation positive followed by repeated negative cultures) occurs after intravaginal inoculation of a low dose of pathogenic SIVmac251 (C. J. Miller, M. Marthas, J. Torten, N. Alexander, J. Moore, G. Doncel, and A. Hendrickx, J. Virol. 68:6391-6400, 1994). Thirty-one adult female macaques that had been inoculated intravaginally with pathogenic SIVmac251 became transiently viremic. One monkey that had been culture negative for a year after SIV inoculation became persistently viremic and developed simian AIDS. No other STV monkey developed persistent viremia or disease. Results of very sensitive assays showed that 6 of 31 monkeys had weak SIV-specific antibody responses. SIV-specific antibodies were not detected in the cervicovaginal secretions of 10 STV monkeys examined. Twenty of 26 monkeys had lymphocyte proliferative responses to p55(gag) and/or gp130(env) antigens; 3 of 6 animals, including the monkey that became persistently viremic, had detectable cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses to SIV. At necropsy, lymphoid tissues and vaginal mucosa were virus culture negative, but in 10 of 10 animals, SIV provirus was detected by PCR using gag-specific primer pairs. Fifty percent of the PCR-positive tissue samples were also positive for SIV gag RNA by reverse transcriptase PCR. Thus, transient viremia following intravaginal inoculation of pathogenic SIV is associated with persistent, systemic infection, either latent or very low level productive. Atypical immune responses, characterized by lymphocyte proliferation and some CTL responses in the absence of conventionally detectable antibodies, develop in transiently viremic monkeys.
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PMID:Occult systemic infection and persistent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CD4(+)-T-cell proliferative responses in rhesus macaques that were transiently viremic after intravaginal inoculation of SIV. 981 41


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