Association of IL-12+ DC with High CD3+CD4-DR+ Lymphocyte Counts in Long-term HIV-infected Hemophilia Patients With Clinically Stable Disease

HIV-Specific CD8(+) T Lymphocytes in Blood of Long-Term HIV-Infected Hemophilia Patients

Hemophilia patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 30 years ago show increased proportions of activated CD8⁺DR⁺ blood lymphocytes. We hypothesized that this might indicate a cellular immune response directed against HIV and might be the reason for long-term clinical stability of these patients. CD8⁺ peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) reactive with six HIV and two cytomegalovirus (CMV) pentamers were determined in heparinized whole blood. Additional lymphocyte subsets as well as plasma cytokines and HIV-1 load were studied. Long-term HIV-infected hemophilia patients with (n=15) or without (n=33) currently detectable HIV-1 load in the plasma showed higher proportions of CD8⁺ lymphocytes reactive with HIV (p<0.001) and CMV pentamers (p=0.010) than healthy individuals. The cellular anti-HIV response tended to be stronger and more polyclonal in patients during periods of viral replication than in patients with retroviral quiescence (p=0.077). Anti-HIV CD8⁺ lymphocyte responses were strongest in patients with high counts of activated CD8⁺DR⁺ T (r=0.353; p=0.014) and low CD19⁺ B lymphocyte counts (r=−0.472; p=0.001). Patients with or without HIV-1 viral load showed normal Th1 and Th2 plasma cytokine levels and high plasma interleukin-6 (versus healthy controls, p=0.001) and tumor necrosis factor-α (p=0.020). Hemophilia patients who have been living with HIV for more than 30 years showed a polyclonal CD8⁺ T-cell response against HIV and CMV. This cellular antiviral immune response was strongest during periods of HIV-1 replication and remained detectable during periods of HIV-1 quiescence. We hypothesize that the consistent cellular anti-HIV-1 response in combination with highly active antiretroviral therapy ensures stability and survival of these chronically HIV-1–infected hemophilia patients.

Nanoliposome-mediated FL/TRAIL double-gene therapy for colon cancer: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the therapeutic effects of cationic nanoliposome-mediated gene therapy combined with immunotherapy for colon cancer treatment.

METHODS

Recombinant plasmids containing green and red fluorescent protein reporter genes were constructed using gene cloning methods. Gene-carrying cationic nanoliposomes were prepared based on the electrostatic adherence principle and then transfected into dendritic cells (DC), which were transplanted into colon cancer cells.

RESULTS

Recombinant plasmids containing green or red fluorescent protein reporter genes were successfully constructed by gene cloning and confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing. Gene-carrying cationic nanoliposomes were transfected into colon cancer cells, and good gene expression was detected. A better level of apoptosis was observed in the combined group of tyrosine kinase receptor 3 ligand (FL) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), while the lowest level was detected in the control group. The parameters in the FL and TRAIL groups were between the above-mentioned combined group.

CONCLUSION

Cationic nanoliposomes have the advantage of being gene carriers. The joint therapeutic effects of the two genes are superior to those of a single gene. Gene therapy combined with immunotherapy has significant implications for cancer treatment.

Increased peripheral blood leukocyte subsets with regulatory phenotype in clinically stable long-term HIV-infected hemophilia patients on HAART may be beneficial and contribute to a decrease in autoimmunity

After initiation of highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), long-term HIV-infected hemophilia patients have been shown to lose autoantibodies against CD4(+) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), suggesting that HAART induces autoimmunity-blocking mechanisms. We compared cytokine levels and subpopulations of lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DC) in the blood of 40 long-term HIV(+) patients with those of 13 long-term HIV(-) hemophilia patients; 23 HIV(+) patients had a detectable retroviral load. Cell subsets were determined using flow cytometry and cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. HIV(+) patients showed higher proportions of DC subpopulations with immunostimulatory phenotypes (p < 0.01), CD8(+) PBL (p < 0.001), and IL-2 (p < 0.001) and sIL-2R plasma levels (p = 0.002) than HIV(-) patients. They also exhibited increased proportions of T PBL with immunosuppressive phenotypes such as CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) (p = 0.001), and CD3(+)CD8(+)CD28(-)Foxp3(+) PBL (p < 0.001), and a decreased IL-7R expression on CD3(+)CD8(+) PBL (p = 0.001) compared to HIV(-) patients. Frequencies of CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) PBL producing IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and/or IFN-gamma, and of CD3(+)CD4(+)CD28(-) PBL secreting IL-2 and/or IL-4 were lower in HIV(+) than in HIV(-) patients (p <or= 0.02). Proportions of CD4(+) PBL coated with IgG, IgM, and C3d were similar in HIV(+) and HIV(-) patients (p = n.s.). However, the proportion of CD4(+)gp120(+) PBL was higher in HIV(+) patients (p = 0.002), and associated with low CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) PBL (p = 0.012). We conclude that long-term HIV-infected hemophilia patients on HAART show an adaptive immune response, presumably against HIV, in the presence of upregulated immunosuppressive T PBL, downregulated cytokine-producing CD4(+) PBL, and downregulated IL-7R expression on CD8(+) PBL. Increased immunoregulatory T PBL might decrease autoimmunity, thereby contributing to immunological reconstitution and stabilization of long-term HIV-infected hemophilia patients on HAART.