Differential Response of Primary and Immortalized CD4(+) T Cells to Neisseria gonorrhoeae-Induced Cytokines Determines the Effect on HIV-1 Replication

作者：Dobson Belaire Wendy N^*; Cochrane Alan; Ostrowski Mario A; Gray Owen Scott D

来源：PLos One, 2011, 6(4): e18133.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0018133

To compare the effect of gonococcal co-infection on immortalized versus primary CD4(+) T cells the Jurkat cell line or freshly isolated human CD4(+) T cells were infected with the HIV-1 X4 strain NL4-3. These cells were exposed to whole gonococci, supernatants from gonococcal-infected PBMCs, or N. gonorrhoeae-induced cytokines at varying levels. Supernatants from gonococcal-infected PBMCs stimulated HIV-1 replication in Jurkat cells while effectively inhibiting HIV-1 replication in primary CD4(+) T cells. ELISA-based analyses revealed that the gonococcal-induced supernatants contained high levels of proinflammatory cytokines that promote HIV-1 replication, as well as the HIV-inhibitory IFN alpha. While all the T cells responded to the HIV-stimulatory cytokines, albeit to differing degrees, the Jurkat cells were refractory to IFN alpha. Combined, these results indicate that N. gonorrhoeae elicits immune-modulating cytokines that both activate and inhibit HIV-production; the outcome of co-infection depending upon the balance between these opposing signals.

• 出版日期2011-4-22