CD8+ cells in HIV infection produce macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha and RANTES: a comparative study in...

Evidence suggests that CD8+ lymphocytes are involved in the control of Human Immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by the release of HIV-suppressive factors. The human chemokines RANTES and the macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) have been identified to be potent inhibitors of HIV in vitro. The aim of this study was to determine whether high levels of these chemokines are associated with a delayed progression of HIV disease. We have therefore analysed the in vitro production of RANTES and MIP-1 alpha from purified stimulated CD8+ cells from HIV+ long term survivors (LTS) and, as a comparison, from HIV+ patients with progressive disease. RANTES production was similar in LTS and progressors (14.06 +/- 3, 13.36 +/- 4.1 ng/ml, not statistically significant); the same cells from healthy controls show a RANTES production of 20 +/- 3.5 ng/ml (P = 0.034 versus LTS and P = 0.038 versus progressors). MIP-1 alpha production was slightly reduced in LTS (96.8 +/- 12 ng/ml) and progressors (91.6 + 17, not statistically significant between the two groups) when compared to healthy controls (109 +/- 7 ng/ml, P = 0.03). Our study suggests that resistance to HIV-1 progression in LTS may not be associated with high levels of RANTES and MIP-1 alpha production.