LACK OF ROLE OF TGF-BETA-1 IN DECREASED LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE RESPONSE IN HIV-1 INFECTION

We investigated whether reduction of the phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced proliferative response of lymphocytes from HIV type-1 (HIV-1)-infected (HIV+) individuals could be explained by overproduction of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), a strong inhibitor of T cell proliferation. PHA-stimulated PBMC from 40 HIV- and 42 HIV+ homosexual men from the Baltimore Center of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) were studied using Northern blot analysis of expression of TGF-β1 mRNA and determining the effects of anti-TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody on PHA-induced proliferative responses. Compared to the HIV- donors, HIV+ donors did not show increased expression of TGF-β1 mRNA in unstimulated or PHA-stimulated PBMC. Furthermore, a neutralizing antibody to TGF-β1 did not reverse the decreased proliferative response of PBMC from HIV+ individuals to PHA or interleukin-2. These results indicate that TGF-β1 is not involved in T cell proliferation defects seen in HIV+ donors. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.