Effect of immunization with an inactivated gp120-depleted HIV-1 immunogen on β-chemokine and cytokine production in subjects with HIV-1 infection

OBJECTIVE: To measure beta-chemokine and cytokine production in HIV-1-infected subjects undergoing treatment with HIV-1 immunogen (REMUNE). DESIGN: Open label treatment study. METHODS: beta-Chemokine and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture. RESULTS: Interferon-gamma production (p = 0.04) and lymphocyte proliferation (p = 0.001) to HIV-1 antigen-stimulated PBMCs increased after immunization with the HIV-1 immunogen. A correlation was demonstrated after immunization between HIV-1 antigen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation and interferon-gamma levels (r = 0.53, p = 0.04). No significant change after immunization was seen for interleukin-4 production. A significant increase in mean levels of HIV-1 antigen-stimulated RANTES (i.e., regulated upon, activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted), was evident 1 month after immunization (p = 0.002) and remained elevated 3 months after immunization. RANTES production was decreased in CD8-depleted PBMC cultures. Mean serum HIV-1 RNA copy numbers and CD4 cell counts remained stable after immunization (p > 0.5). A correlation was demonstrated between HIV-1 antigen-stimulated interferon-gamma and RANTES production (r = 0.54, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This report describes an augmentation of beta-chemokines and TH1-type cytokines from PBMCs after immunization with the HIV-1 immunogen.