Visualization of cytokine and virus receptors common to the immune and central nervous system

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) and the human retrovirus HTLV-III/LAV represent two distinct molecular and biological constituents that are apparently shared by both the immune and central nervous systems. IL-1 is a cytokine produced principally by monocytes of the immune system and glial cells of brain in situ or in vitro. HTLV-III/LAV represents a unique class of human retrovirus which is the recognized etiological vector of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which exhibits cellular tropism to helper T lymphocytes or brain by the interactions with an entry protein previously described as the T4 antigen. Autoradiography was used to examine the specific binding distribution of 125I-IL-1 alpha and anti-T4 antibody to rat and squirrel monkey brain sections, respectively. Representative data shows unique neuroanatomical distributions of the IL-1 binding protein (receptor) and the T4 antigen in brain. The autoradiographic study provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis of shared receptors between the immune and nervous systems and offers potential for the discovery of new biological or pathological interactions of these common physiological constituents.