IngentaConnect Improvement of the lymphoproliferative immune response and apopto...

Authors: Neves; Bertho¹; Veloso²; Nascimento³; Campos-Mello³; Morgado³

Source: Clinical & Experimental Immunology, Volume 111, Number 2, February 1998 , pp. 264-268(5)

Abstract:

Clinical improvement has been described in AIDS patients submitted to zinc therapy, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. In order to evaluate the effect of the zinc ions in the enhancement of the immune response, we tested its role in the lymphoproliferative response to a mitogen, as well as in the prevention of apoptosis. The mitogenic effect of zinc (10⁻⁴ mZnCl₂) on the lymphocyte proliferative response was observed in healthy controls as well as in HIV-1⁺ asymptomatic individuals. Very low stimulation index could be observed in AIDS patients (CD4⁺ < 200/mm³). However, zinc treatment of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA; 5 μg/ml)-stimulated PBMC cultures significantly enhanced ³H-thymidine incorporation in both asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. A decreased percentage of apoptotic cells could be identified in cell cultures from HIV-1⁺ individuals submitted to zinc treatment compared with cells treated only with PHA, as detected by both flow cytometry and agarose gel electrophoresis. Further studies with zinc supplementation associated to anti-retroviral therapy would be of great interest to evaluate the in vivo role of this oligoelement in the improvement of the immunological functions of HIV-1-infected individuals and AIDS patients.

Keywords: AIDS; zinc; mitogen; lymphoproliferative response; immunomodulation and apoptosis

Document Type: Original article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00495.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Protozoology, 2: Evandro Chagas Hospital, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3: Department of Immunology,

You have access to the full text article on a website external to Ingentaconnect.

Please click here to view this article on InterScience.

You may be required to register and activate access on InterScience before you can obtain the full text. If you have any queries please contact onlinehelp@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com

Improvement of the lymphoproliferative immune response and apoptosis inhibition upon in vitro treatment with zinc of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV+ individuals

Improvement of the lymphoproliferative immune response and apoptosis inhibition upon in vitro treatment with zinc of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HIV⁺ individuals