Abstract
Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine expressed by several cell types, including activated dendritic cells and macrophages, that acts in synergy with IL-12 as an important amplifying factor for IFN-γ production and Th1 development. To study the immunological and virological effects of IL-18 expression in the context of a lentiviral infection, we inoculated rhesus macaques with a high dose of replication-competent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vectors carrying the rhesus IL-18 gene in the sense (SIVIL-18) or antisense (SIVFIGI) orientation. Both vectors behaved as attenuated viruses, resulting in low viral loads, induction of low and transient levels of inflammatory cytokines, no CD4+ T cell depletion, and mild activation of T lymphocytes. Although IL-18-expressing virus could be isolated from some SIVIL18-infected macaques for 12 weeks postinfection, the anti-SIV humoral and cellular immune responses of macaques inoculated with SIVIL18 and SIVFIGI were similar to each other, with the exception of an early IFN-γ response in animals infected with SIVIL18. In summary, expression of IL-18 during the acute phase of SIV infection does not increase viral replication or influence the outcome of the antiviral immune response.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 327-337 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Virology |
Volume | 303 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- Antibodies
- CTL
- Cytokines
- IL-18
- Immune response
- Live-attenuated virus
- Proliferation
- Rhesus macaques
- SIV
- Vaccine
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Virology