Biological properties of interferon-α produced ex vivo by whole blood of patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus-1

Abstract

We investigated the biological properties of interferon (IFN)-α produced by Sendai virus (SV)-activated whole blood cultures in 20 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and 24 healthy controls. Supernatants of cultures were assayed for IFN-α by using an immunological method (DELFIA), biological methods and an in-vitro MxA induction assay. The levels of intracellular MxA protein were detected by an immunochemiluminescence assay. The levels of IFN-α in patients measured by DELFIA were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.0001), but the antiviral activity of IFN-α in patients infected with HIV-1 was lower than predicted from DELFIA. The IFN-α produced by cells of patients infected with HIV-1 was able to induce MxA protein in human amnions WISH cells but was unable to protect these cells against Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV)-induced cytopathic effects. A relative increased capability to induce the production of MxA protein in vitro was observed with the IFN-α contained in culture supernatant of virus-activated whole blood of HIV-1- infected patients with increased levels of MxA in their peripheral blood. These data suggest that biological properties of IFN-α produced in the course of HIV-1 infection are different from those observed with IFN-α of healthy subjects.