Open AccessInterferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) can counteract the in vitro inhibitory effect of an HIV p24 immunosuppressive heptapeptide
Author(s) -
LUZZATI A. L.,
BOIRIVANT M.,
GIACOMINI E.,
GIORDANI L.,
DI MODUGNO F.,
CHERSI A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-778.x
Subject(s) - in vitro , biology , antigen , cytokine , interferon gamma , recombinant dna , immunology , antibody , peptide , interferon , virology , gene , biochemistry
Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that a synthetic heptapeptide (Ch7), corresponding to a conserved sequence of HIV core protein p24 (aa 232–238), was able to specifically abrogate antigen‐induced responses in cultures of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). In the present study we show that Ch7 did not inhibit the induction of IFN‐γ‐secreting cells nor the accumulation of IFN‐γ mRNA in antigen‐stimulated cultures. However, delayed addition of recombinant human IFN‐γ to Ch7‐suppressed cultures was able to restore fully the capacity to mount an antigen‐specific antibody response. Thus, although the Ch7 immunosuppressive effect may not be directly related to a decreased production of IFN‐γ, an increased level of this cytokine is certainly able to counteract the negative effect of the peptide.