Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We used semiquantitative RT-PCR to monitor the expression of mRNA encoding cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10) and IFN-gamma in fresh isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), lymph node mononuclear cells (LNMCs), and mononuclear cells obtained after bronchoalveolar lavages (BALMCs), of four cynomolgus macaques inoculated intravenously with a pathogenic isolate of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251). To investigate the effects of the viral load on the expression of the cytokines, two monkeys received 30 mg kg-1 day-1 of didanosine (ddI). The two nontreated monkeys became infected and seroconverted, whereas the ddI-treated monkeys were completely protected as demonstrated by all criteria of diagnosis of SIV infection. Concomitant with the peak of viral replication (2 weeks after the experimental inoculation), high levels of IL-6 mRNA were produced in PBMCs, LNMCs, and BALMCs of the two placebotreated infected monkeys. Overexpression of TNF-alpha and IL-10 mRNAs was sometimes observed in LNMCs and BALMCs. A progressive overexpression of IFN-gamma mRNA, starting 2 weeks after experimental inoculation, was observed in BALMCs from infected animals. Concurrently, a marked increase in the CD8+ lymphocyte percentage in the BAL fluids was detected by FACS analysis. Thus, our results emphasize the importance of a comparative study of the expression of cytokines in different tissues. They suggest the interactions of monocyte/macrophage monokine production with viral replication, as well as the role of IFN-gamma in the development of lung cellular immunity to SIV infection.
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PMID:Cytokine mRNA expression in mononuclear cells from different tissues during acute SIVmac251 infection of macaques. 887 Aug 48

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) regulatory gene, tat, encodes an early transactivator protein (Tat) necessary for virus replication. We have reported that the HIV-1 tat gene can up-regulate interleukin 4 receptors (IL-4R) however, the mechanism of this up-regulation is not understood. We now show that in Raji cells, 125I-labeled IL-4 cross-linked to three proteins of 140, 70, and 63 kDa, which were immunoprecipitated with an antibody to the human IL-4R. Although this level of all three IL-4 binding proteins increased in tat-transfected cells, the binding characteristics of IL-4R on control or mock transfected control and tat-transfected cells remained similar. The exogenous recombinant Tat protein or supernatant of tat transfected Raji cells also up-regulated the expression of the IL-4R on two renal cell carcinoma cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. The actinomycin D chase experiments revealed that the half-lives of the IL-4R protein (t1/2 3.5 hr) and mRNA transcripts (t1/2 2.5 hr) were similar in both control and tat-transfected cells. In contrast, nuclear run-on experiments revealed that the rate of the IL-4R mRNA transcription increased 3- to 5-fold in Raji-tat compared to Raji cells. These data indicate that the HIV-1 tat gene up-regulates IL-4R expression by increasing the transcription rate rather than posttranscriptional stabilization of either the mRNA or the protein. HIV-tat inducible exogenous tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) did not up-regulate IL-4R and IL-4R inducible activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT-6) was not observed by Tat even though IL-4R were up-regulated. These results allow us to speculate that HIV-1 tat may interact directly with the IL-4R gene and up-regulate IL-4R transcription.
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PMID:Transcriptional up-regulation of interleukin 4 receptors by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tat gene. 889 Nov 14

Current evidence indicates that the neuroendocrine system is the highest regulator of immune/inflammatory reactions. Prolactin and growth hormone stimulate the production of leukocytes, including lymphocytes, and maintain immunocompetence. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis constitutes the most powerful circuit regulating the immune system. The neuropeptides constituting this axis, namely corticotrophin releasing factor, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, and beta-endorphin are powerful immunoregulators, which have a direct regulatory effect on lymphoid cells, regulating immune reactions by the stimulation of immunoregulatory hormones (glucocorticoids) and also by acting on the central nervous system which in turn generates immunoregulatory nerve impulses. Peptidergic nerves are major regulators of the inflammatory response. Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide are pro-inflammatory mediators and somatostatin is anti-inflammatory. The neuroendocrine regulation of the inflammatory response is of major significance from the point of view of immune homeostasis. Malfunction of this circuit leads to disease and often is life-threatening. The immune system emits signals towards the neuroendocrine system by cytokine mediators which reach significant blood levels (cytokine-hormones) during systemic immune/inflammatory reactions. Interleukin-1, -6, and TNF-alpha are the major cytokine hormones mediating the acute phase response. These cytokines induce profound neuroendocrine and metabolic changes by interacting with the central nervous system and with many other organs and tissues in the body. Corticotrophin releasing factor functions under these conditions as a major co-ordinator of the response and is responsible for activating the ACTH-adrenal axis for regulating fever and for other CNS effects leading to a sympathetic outflow. Increased ACTH secretion leads to glucocorticoid production. alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone functions under these conditions as a cytokine antagonist and an anti-pyretic hormone. The sympathetic outflow, in conjunction with increased adrenal activity. leads to the elevation of catecholamines in the bloodstream and in tissues. Current evidence suggests that neuroimmune mechanisms are essential in normal physiology, such as tissue turnover, involution, atrophy, intestinal function, and reproduction. Host defence against infection, trauma and shock relies heavily on the neuroimmunoregulatory network. Moreover, abnormalities of neuroimmunoregulation contribute to the aetiology of autoimmune disease, chronic inflammatory disease, immunodeficiency, allergy, and asthma. Finally, neuroimmune mechanisms play an important role in regeneration and healing.
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PMID:The immune effects of neuropeptides. 891 48

Inflammatory cells, in particular monocytes/macrophages, release pro-inflammatory mediators in response to several infectious and non-infectious stimuli. The excessive release of these mediators, resulting in the development of whole body inflammation, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis and septic shock. TNF-alpha, acting synergistically with cytokines such as IL-1, GM-CSF and IFN-gamma, is the key mediator in the induction process of septic shock, as shown in several experimental models. Based on this concept and on the encouraging results obtained in several experimental models, a number of clinical sepsis trials targeting the production or action of TNF-alpha or IL-1 have been performed in recent years. Unfortunately, these trials have failed to demonstrate a therapeutic benefit. One reason for this may be the lack of exact immunologic analyses during the course of septic disease. Recently, we demonstrated that there is a biphasic immunologic response in sepsis: an initial hyperinflammatory phase is followed by a hypo-inflammatory one. The latter is associated with immunodeficiency which is characterized by monocytic deactivation, which we have called "immunoparalysis". While anti-inflammatory therapy (e.g. anti-TNF antibodies, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-10) makes sense during the initial hyperinflammatory phase, immune stimulation by removing inhibitory factors (plasmapheresis) or the administration of monocyte activating cytokines (IFN-gamma, GM-CSF) may be more useful during "immunoparalysis".
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PMID:Monocyte deactivation--rationale for a new therapeutic strategy in sepsis. 892 92

Gene expression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) depends on a host cellular transcription factors including nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). The involvement of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) has been implicated as intracellular messengers in the inducible activation of NF-kappaB. In this study, we compared the efficacy of two antioxidants, alpha-lipoic acid (LA) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which are widely recognized NF-kappaB inhibitors. Here, we demonstrate that LA has a more potent activity in inhibiting NF-KappaB-mediated gene expression in THP-1 cells that have been stably transfected with a plasmid bearing a hygromycin B resistance gene under the control of HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter. The spontaneous activation of NF-kappaB in this cell culture system leads to expression of the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene hence rendering the cells resistance to hygromycin B. In this study, the effect of the test compounds against transcriptional activity of HIV-1 LTR was evaluated based on the degree of cellular toxicity due to the inhibitory activity on the expression of hygromycin B resistance gene in the presence of hygromycin B. We also found that 0.2 mM LA could cause 40% reduction in the HIV-1 expression from the TNF-alpha-stimulated OM 10.1, a cell line latently infected with HIV-1. On the other hand, 10 mM NAC was required to elicit the same effect. Furthermore, the initiation of HIV-1 induction by TNF-alpha was completely abolished by 1 mM LA. These findings confirm the involvement of ROI in NF-kappaB-mediated HIV gene expression as well as the efficacy of LA as a therapeutic regimen for HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Moreover, this study validates the applicability of our present assay system which we primarily designed for the screening of candidate drugs against HIV-1 gene expression.
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PMID:Alpha-lipoic acid blocks HIV-1 LTR-dependent expression of hygromycin resistance in THP-1 stable transformants. 892 35

Several recent reports support the hypothesis that apoptosis occurring in leukocytes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals is important in progression to AIDS. Specifically, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells appears critical in the pathogenesis of disease. Here, we present evidence that protease-defective, gp120-containing HIV-1 (L-2) particle preparations specifically induce apoptosis in cells obtained from a subset of promonocytic U937-derived subclones. The rate of apoptosis induction was inversely correlated with the susceptibility of the U937 subclones to wild-type HIV-1 infection. Three types of apoptosis experiments were performed: DNA content analysis by flow cytometry, apoptotic nuclear degradation by fluorescent microscopy and DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis. Kinetic analysis revealed that there was a slower induction of apoptosis by L-2 particle preparations than with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or anti-Fas antibody. However, there were no significant differences in the initial binding rates of L-2 particles as well as the binding of TNF-alpha or anti-Fas antibody to the U937 subclones. The basal level of protein kinase C activity was higher in high-type subclones compared with low-type subclones. These results suggest that U937 cells can be divided into at least two subpopulations, one that permits a productive HIV-1 infection but is not subjected to L-2 particle preparation-induced apoptosis, while the other poorly replicates HIV-1 and is subjected to L-2 mediated apoptosis, although at a slower rate than found with TNF-alpha or anti-Fas antibody.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by protease-defective particle preparations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is specific to a subset of U937-derived subclones. 894 63

Cytokine mRNA expression and stimulus-induced cytokines were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 62 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children and uninfected controls. Compared with that in controls, constitutive mRNA expression in patients was increased for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and interleukin (IL)-10 and decreased for IL-12; it was undetectable for IL-2 and IL-4 in both patients and controls. Stimulus-induced secretion of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-12, and IL-4 was less than that in controls; IL-10 secretion was similar. There was no increase in stimulus-induced or constitutive IL-4 or IL-10 in children with severe immunologic deficit compared with controls. A higher stimulus-induced IL-10 secretion and a lower constitutive TNF-alpha mRNA were associated with a slower rate of disease progression, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression correlated with lower plasma HIV RNA. Thus, constitutive cytokine mRNA expression differs from stimulus-induced cytokine responses. The dominant defect in HIV-infected children appears to be one of reduced type 1 cytokines, predominantly IL-2.
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PMID:Cytokine pattern in relation to disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children. 898 95

We have engineered recombinant vaccinia virus vectors expressing murine interleukin-7 (IL-7) in order to study the activity of this factor during virus infection. Virus-encoded IL-7 dramatically increased splenic cellularity in infected mice and enhanced the proliferative activity of T cells and their capacity to secrete IL-2 and IL-6, but not IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha or IL-4. Numbers of splenic CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were elevated two- to threefold. IL-7 also mediated a marked enhancement of both antigen-specific and nonspecific cellular immune activity. Total splenic antiviral cytotoxic T cells (CTL), natural killer (NK), and lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK) responses were augmented significantly in mice given VV-HA-IL-7 compared with those given control virus, with accelerated clearance of the former. The enhanced antiviral cellular immune activity mediated by IL-7 was critically dependent on IL-2 produced by the host, but occurred independently of IFN-gamma. The ability of IL-7 to induce cellular immune responses in vivo may have applications in antiviral immunotherapy, particularly in cases of immunodeficiency.
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PMID:Interleukin-7 enhances cell-mediated immune responses in vivo in an interleukin-2-dependent manner. 909 26

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) type II are induced in macrophages by interferon (IFN)-gamma and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Nitric oxide has been previously shown to inhibit IDO activity. We studied whether metabolites of tryptophan via the IDO pathway could alter NOS II activity. In RAW 264.7 cells, the phenolic antioxidant 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (OH-AA), but not anthranilic acid, inhibited citrulline synthesis by NOS II at sub-millimolar concentrations, when added 1 h before IFN-gamma and LPS. OH-AA inhibited NOS II activity in cytosolic extracts, suggesting a direct action of OH-AA on NOS II protein. Moreover, expression of NOS II mRNA and activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) in RAW 264.7 cells were decreased by a pretreatment with OH-AA, but not anthranilic acid, before addition of IFN-gamma and LPS. This pretreatment also inhibited activation of NF-kappa B in response to TNF-alpha in lymphoblastoid J.Jhan5-1 cells. Finally, expression of a long terminal repeat of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-LTR)-driven luciferase reporter gene, controlled by NF-kappa B activation, was severely decreased by OH-AA or 3-hydroxykynurenine in J.Jhan5-1 cells. Other tryptophan derivatives were inactive. These data identify OH-AA as an aminophenolic tryptophan derivative inhibiting NF-kappa B activation and impairing both NOS II expression and activity in a millimolar concentration range.
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PMID:Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase expression and activity in macrophages by 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, a tryptophan metabolite. 912 84

The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load and cytokine expression. HIV-RNA plasma levels were determined in 34 HIV-seropositive (HIV+) asymptomatic subjects [range: 0.5 to 211 kiloequivalents (kEq)/ml HIV-RNAJ, by a modified branched-DNA (bDNA) assay. Plasma HIV-RNA levels were positively correlated with increased plasma levels of TNF-alpha, soluble TNF receptor type II, soluble IL-2 receptor, beta 2-microglobulin, and neopterin, but not with plasma IL-6 levels. In contrast, increased viral load and diminished CD4 counts correlated weakly. TNF-alpha mRNA levels, as determined by bDNA technology, were not significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from HIV-infected subjects, compared to HIV-seronegative (HIV-) subjects, and were not correlated with plasma levels of HIV-RNA, cytokines, or activation markers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a self-reinforcing mechanism exists between TNF-alpha production and generalized immune activation on one hand with HIV replication on the other.
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PMID:Relationship of plasma HIV-RNA levels and levels of TNF-alpha and immune activation products in HIV infection. 919 82


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