Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1995 Nov;63(11):4277–4283. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.11.4277-4283.1995

In vitro influence of Mycoplasma penetrans on activation of peripheral T lymphocytes from healthy donors or human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals.

Y Sasaki 1, A Blanchard 1, H L Watson 1, S Garcia 1, A Dulioust 1, L Montagnier 1, M L Gougeon 1
PMCID: PMC173607  PMID: 7591058

Abstract

Mycoplasma penetrans is a mycoplasma species newly isolated from the urine of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals and presents the only case in which an association has been found between antibodies against a mycoplasma and HIV infection. To further explore the effects of M. penetrans on the immune system, we studied the influence of this mycoplasma on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and HIV-infected individuals. M. penetrans induced, in addition to blastogenesis of PBMCs, a significant proliferative response associated with the expression of some activation markers such as CD69, HLA-DR, and CD25. This M. penetrans-dependent lymphocyte activation was observed not only in healthy donors but also in HIV-infected persons at different stages of the disease. In addition, our study revealed that both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were responsive to M. penetrans. Interestingly, the mitogenic activity of M. penetrans was associated with mycoplasma cells but not with the supernatants of mycoplasma culture. The potent stimulating activity of M. penetrans on T lymphocytes from HIV-infected individuals is of particular interest in view of the supposed contribution of immune activation to HIV replication and disease progression.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (466.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Biberfeld G. Activation of human lymphocyte subpopulations by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Scand J Immunol. 1977;6(11):1145–1150. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1977.tb00353.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BiberfeldG, Nilsson E. Mitogenicity of Mycoplasma fermentans for human lymphocytes. Infect Immun. 1978 Jul;21(1):48–54. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.1.48-54.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cole B. C. The immunobiology of Mycoplasma arthritidis and its superantigen MAM. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1991;174:107–119. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-50998-8_8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Denis M., Ghadirian E. Mycobacterium avium infection in HIV-1-infected subjects increases monokine secretion and is associated with enhanced viral load and diminished immune response to viral antigens. Clin Exp Immunol. 1994 Jul;97(1):76–82. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06582.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fauci A. S. Multifactorial nature of human immunodeficiency virus disease: implications for therapy. Science. 1993 Nov 12;262(5136):1011–1018. doi: 10.1126/science.8235617. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Feng S. H., Lo S. C. Induced mouse spleen B-cell proliferation and secretion of immunoglobulin by lipid-associated membrane proteins of Mycoplasma fermentans incognitus and Mycoplasma penetrans. Infect Immun. 1994 Sep;62(9):3916–3921. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.9.3916-3921.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grau O., Slizewicz B., Tuppin P., Launay V., Bourgeois E., Sagot N., Moynier M., Lafeuillade A., Bachelez H., Clauvel J. P. Association of Mycoplasma penetrans with human immunodeficiency virus infection. J Infect Dis. 1995 Sep;172(3):672–681. doi: 10.1093/infdis/172.3.672. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gupta P., Kingsley L., Armstrong J., Ding M., Cottrill M., Rinaldo C. Enhanced expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 correlates with development of AIDS. Virology. 1993 Oct;196(2):586–595. doi: 10.1006/viro.1993.1514. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ho D. D. HIV-1 viraemia and influenza. Lancet. 1992 Jun 20;339(8808):1549–1549. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)91321-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Honda M., Kitamura K., Matsuda K., Yokota Y., Yamamoto N., Mitsuyasu R., Chermann J. C., Tokunaga T. Soluble IL-2 receptor in AIDS. Correlation of its serum level with the classification of HIV-induced diseases and its characterization. J Immunol. 1989 Jun 15;142(12):4248–4255. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Honda M., Kitamura K., Mizutani Y., Oishi M., Arai M., Okura T., Igarahi K., Yasukawa K., Hirano T., Kishimoto T. Quantitative analysis of serum IL-6 and its correlation with increased levels of serum IL-2R in HIV-induced diseases. J Immunol. 1990 Dec 15;145(12):4059–4064. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kestens L., Vanham G., Gigase P., Young G., Hannet I., Vanlangendonck F., Hulstaert F., Bach B. A. Expression of activation antigens, HLA-DR and CD38, on CD8 lymphocytes during HIV-1 infection. AIDS. 1992 Aug;6(8):793–797. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199208000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lafeuillade A., Tamalet C., Pellegrino P., de Micco P., Vignoli C., Quilichini R. Correlation between surrogate markers, viral load, and disease progression in HIV-1 infection. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 1994 Oct;7(10):1028–1033. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Levacher M., Hulstaert F., Tallet S., Ullery S., Pocidalo J. J., Bach B. A. The significance of activation markers on CD8 lymphocytes in human immunodeficiency syndrome: staging and prognostic value. Clin Exp Immunol. 1992 Dec;90(3):376–382. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb05854.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lo S. C., Hayes M. M., Kotani H., Pierce P. F., Wear D. J., Newton P. B., 3rd, Tully J. G., Shih J. W. Adhesion onto and invasion into mammalian cells by mycoplasma penetrans: a newly isolated mycoplasma from patients with AIDS. Mod Pathol. 1993 May;6(3):276–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lo S. C., Hayes M. M., Tully J. G., Wang R. Y., Kotani H., Pierce P. F., Rose D. L., Shih J. W. Mycoplasma penetrans sp. nov., from the urogenital tract of patients with AIDS. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1992 Jul;42(3):357–364. doi: 10.1099/00207713-42-3-357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lo S. C., Hayes M. M., Wang R. Y., Pierce P. F., Kotani H., Shih J. W. Newly discovered mycoplasma isolated from patients infected with HIV. Lancet. 1991 Dec 7;338(8780):1415–1418. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)92721-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lu W., Israël-Biet D. Virion concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of HIV infected patients. Lancet. 1993 Jul 31;342(8866):298–298. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)91839-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lähdevirta J., Maury C. P., Teppo A. M., Repo H. Elevated levels of circulating cachectin/tumor necrosis factor in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Am J Med. 1988 Sep;85(3):289–291. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(88)90576-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ma Y., Weis J. J. Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface lipoproteins OspA and OspB possess B-cell mitogenic and cytokine-stimulatory properties. Infect Immun. 1993 Sep;61(9):3843–3853. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.9.3843-3853.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mahalingam M., Peakman M., Davies E. T., Pozniak A., McManus T. J., Vergani D. T cell activation and disease severity in HIV infection. Clin Exp Immunol. 1993 Sep;93(3):337–343. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb08182.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mallal S. A., James I. R., French M. A. Detection of subclinical Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex infection in immunodeficient HIV-infected patients treated with zidovudine. AIDS. 1994 Sep;8(9):1263–1269. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199409000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Miedema F., Petit A. J., Terpstra F. G., Schattenkerk J. K., de Wolf F., Al B. J., Roos M., Lange J. M., Danner S. A., Goudsmit J. Immunological abnormalities in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected asymptomatic homosexual men. HIV affects the immune system before CD4+ T helper cell depletion occurs. J Clin Invest. 1988 Dec;82(6):1908–1914. doi: 10.1172/JCI113809. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Mintz M., Rapaport R., Oleske J. M., Connor E. M., Koenigsberger M. R., Denny T., Epstein L. G. Elevated serum levels of tumor necrosis factor are associated with progressive encephalopathy in children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Am J Dis Child. 1989 Jul;143(7):771–774. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150190021012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Mizuma H., Litwin S., Zolla-Pazner S. B-cell activation in HIV infection: relationship of spontaneous immunoglobulin secretion to various immunological parameters. Clin Exp Immunol. 1988 Mar;71(3):410–416. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Naot Y., Tully J. G., Ginsburg H. Lymphocyte activation by various Mycoplasma strains and species. Infect Immun. 1977 Nov;18(2):310–317. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.2.310-317.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Resch K., Bessler W. Activation of lymphocyte populations with concanavalin A or with lipoprotein and lipopeptide from the outer cell wall of Escherichia coli: correlation of early membrane changes with induction of macromolecular synthesis. Eur J Biochem. 1981 Apr;115(2):247–252. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1981.tb05230.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sasaki Y., Honda M., Makino M., Sasaki T. Mycoplasmas stimulate replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 through selective activation of CD4+ T lymphocytes. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1993 Aug;9(8):775–780. doi: 10.1089/aid.1993.9.775. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Shearer G. M., Clerici M. Early T-helper cell defects in HIV infection. AIDS. 1991 Mar;5(3):245–253. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199103000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Toossi Z., Sierra-Madero J. G., Blinkhorn R. A., Mettler M. A., Rich E. A. Enhanced susceptibility of blood monocytes from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis to productive infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. J Exp Med. 1993 May 1;177(5):1511–1516. doi: 10.1084/jem.177.5.1511. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wang R. Y., Shih J. W., Grandinetti T., Pierce P. F., Hayes M. M., Wear D. J., Alter H. J., Lo S. C. High frequency of antibodies to Mycoplasma penetrans in HIV-infected patients. Lancet. 1992 Nov 28;340(8831):1312–1316. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)92493-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wang R. Y., Shih J. W., Weiss S. H., Grandinetti T., Pierce P. F., Lange M., Alter H. J., Wear D. J., Davies C. L., Mayur R. K. Mycoplasma penetrans infection in male homosexuals with AIDS: high seroprevalence and association with Kaposi's sarcoma. Clin Infect Dis. 1993 Oct;17(4):724–729. doi: 10.1093/clinids/17.4.724. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES