1. Increased level of IL-32 during human immunodeficiency virus infection suppresses HIV replication.
- Author
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Rasool ST, Tang H, Wu J, Li W, Mukhtar MM, Zhang J, Mu Y, Xing HX, Wu J, and Zhu Y
- Subjects
- Cell Line, Cloning, Molecular, Feedback, Physiological, Gene Expression Regulation, HIV Core Protein p24 genetics, HIV Core Protein p24 immunology, HIV Core Protein p24 metabolism, HIV Infections blood, HIV Infections genetics, HIV Long Terminal Repeat genetics, HIV Long Terminal Repeat immunology, Humans, Interleukins blood, RNA, Messenger analysis, RNA, Small Interfering genetics, RNA, Small Interfering immunology, Recombinant Proteins genetics, Recombinant Proteins immunology, Transfection, HIV physiology, HIV Infections immunology, Interleukins genetics, Interleukins immunology, Virus Replication immunology
- Abstract
Interleukin-32 was recently identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by T-lymphocytes, natural killer cells, epithelial cells, and blood monocytes. IL-32 is induced by IFN-gamma in a time-dependent manner suggesting a role for IL-32 in innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study we present evidence that Human immunodeficiency virus promotes interleukin-32 production at both mRNA and protein levels. Our results showed that there is a 74% increase in the serum levels of IL-32 among HIV patients as compared to healthy individuals. There was a three-fold increase in the promoter activity of the IL-32 in the present infections HIV clone. This increase in IL-32 promoter activity was substantiated by increased IL-32 mRNA and protein levels. We have also demonstrated that IL-32 suppresses HIV replication. Our results show that HIV LTR activity was increased by more than six-folds when endogenous IL-32 was knocked down by IL-32-specific siRNA whereas it decreased by one-fold when IL-32 was over expressed in the cells. Similarly a more than two-fold increase and a 50% decrease in HIV p24 values were noted when IL-32 was knocked down and when IL-32 was over expressed in the cells, respectively. Our present work shows that raised IL-32 levels in HIV infection may in turn hamper HIV replication; one of the protective mechanisms of nature.
- Published
- 2008
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