Wang H, Nishanian P, Fahey J L
Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunology and Disease, UCLA School of Medicine 90024.
Cell Immunol. 1995 Apr 1;161(2):236-43. doi: 10.1006/cimm.1995.1032.
HIV infection is associated with immunosuppression leading to susceptibility to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV proteins can be immunosuppressive with substantial activity residing within the gp41 portion of HIV envelope glycoprotein gp160. In this report, immunosuppressive properties of a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acid sequence 584-609 of HIV-1 transmembrane protein gp41 were investigated. The peptide was found to inhibit proliferative responses of normal human lymphocytes to mitogens and recall antigen. Stimulations by IL-2 and by anti-CD3 were also inhibited, indicating that the effect occurred in a pathway of response shared by CD3 and by IL-2 receptor recognition systems. Both CD4 and CD8 T cells were suppressed, indicating that the suppression did not require interactions with CD4 molecules. Consistently, the peptide was suppressive in the presence of HIV-infected patients' sera containing specific antibodies to the peptide, suggesting that the active portion was probably not an immunogenic configuration. These in vitro results emphasize the likelihood that HIV gp41 contributes to the in vivo immunosuppression and immune dysfunction of HIV-infected persons.
HIV感染与免疫抑制相关，导致机体易患机会性感染和肿瘤。HIV蛋白具有免疫抑制作用，其大量活性存在于HIV包膜糖蛋白gp160的gp41部分。在本报告中，研究了与HIV-1跨膜蛋白gp41氨基酸序列584-609相对应的合成肽的免疫抑制特性。发现该肽可抑制正常人淋巴细胞对丝裂原和回忆抗原的增殖反应。IL-2和抗CD3的刺激也受到抑制，表明该效应发生在CD3和IL-2受体识别系统共有的反应途径中。CD4和CD8 T细胞均受到抑制，表明这种抑制不需要与CD4分子相互作用。一致的是，该肽在含有针对该肽的特异性抗体的HIV感染患者血清存在下具有抑制作用，这表明活性部分可能不是免疫原性构型。这些体外结果强调了HIV gp41促成HIV感染者体内免疫抑制和免疫功能障碍的可能性。
