Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 104, Issue 7, Pages 2355-2360Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0610775104
Keywords
T lymphocytes; immunodeficiency; immune reconstitution; programmed cell death; cytokines
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Apoptosis has been suggested as one of the major mechanisms of CD4(+) T cell depletion during the course of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Here, we show that interleukin 7 (IL-7), a nonredundant cytokine that plays essential roles in the generation and homeostasis of the T cell compartment of the immune system, exerts strong antiapoptotic effects ex vivo on both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells derived from HIV-1-infected subjects. The level of IL-7-mediated reduction of apoptosis was inversely correlated with the number of circulating CD4(+) T cells, indicating a higher sensitivity to IL-7 effects in patients with more advanced disease. The antiapoptotic effect of IL-7 was uncoupled from the induction of cellular proliferation or endogenous HIV-1 replication. These results provide a further rationale for consideration of IL-7 as an agent of immune reconstitution in HIV-1 infection.
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