Effect of cytokines on HIV release and IL-2 receptor alpha expression in monocytic cell lines.

A monocytic cell line, THP-1, was acutely infected with HIV, and the effects of various factors including INF-gamma, LPS, IL-2, and IL-6 were analyzed. While IFN-gamma suppressed HIV production, IL-2 and IL-6 augmented it. The suppressive effect of IFN-gamma was not overcome by IL-2 or by LPS. We studied whether the induction of IL-2 receptor alpha (IL-2R alpha) expression by those factors was related to HIV infection or not. By immunofluorescence analysis using monoclonal anti-IL-2R alpha antibody, we observed that HIV infection itself induced IL-2R alpha expression moderately in U937 and THP-1, and IL-6 as well as IFN-gamma highly induced IL-2R alpha expression both in uninfected and infected THP-1. Although induction of HIV production and IL-2R alpha expression by cytokines seem not to be directly correlated, these results suggest that soluble IL-2R alpha increased in AIDS patients might be at least partly derived from infected monocyte/macrophages activated by various cytokines, especially IL-6, which is mainly produced by themselves.