Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1995 Dec 1;182(6):1759–1767. doi: 10.1084/jem.182.6.1759

T helper type 1/T helper type 2 cytokines and T cell death: preventive effect of interleukin 12 on activation-induced and CD95 (FAS/APO-1)- mediated apoptosis of CD4+ T cells from human immunodeficiency virus- infected persons

PMCID: PMC2192228  PMID: 7500020

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to a progressive loss of CD4+ T helper (Th) type 1 cell-mediated immunity that is associated with defective in vitro CD4+ T cell proliferation and abnormal T cell death by apoptosis in response to T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. Quantification of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon gamma, IL- 4, IL-5, and IL-10 secretion by immunoassays, and of interferon gamma, IL-4 and IL-10 messenger RNA expression by competitive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction after in vitro stimulation of the TCR revealed a similar Th1 cytokine profile in T cells from HIV- infected persons and from controls. These data indicated that the loss of CD4+ Th1 cell function in HIV-infected persons is not related to a Th1 to Th2 cytokine switch as previously proposed, but to a process of activation-induced death of CD4+ Th1 cells. Despite the absence of elevated levels of Th2 cytokines, apoptosis of CD4+ T cells, but not of CD8+ T cells, was prevented in vitro by antibodies to IL-10 or IL-4, two Th2 cytokines that downregulate Th1 cell responses, or by the addition of recombinant IL-12, a cytokine that upregulates Th1 functions. TCR-induced apoptosis of T cell hybridomas and preactivated T cells has been shown to involve the CD95 (Fas/Apo-1) molecule. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from HIV-infected persons expressed high levels of the CD95 molecule, and, in contrast to T cells from controls, were highly sensitive to antibody-mediated CD95 ligation, which induced apoptosis in a percentage of T cells similar to that induced by TCR stimulation. As TCR-induced apoptosis, CD95-mediated apoptosis of CD4+ T cells, but not of CD8+ T cells, was prevented by the addition of recombinant IL- 12. Together, these findings suggest that apoptosis of CD4+ T cells from HIV-infected persons involves an abnormal sensitivity to CD95 ligation, and to TCR stimulation in the presence of normal levels of Th2 cytokines. The preventive effect of IL-12 on both mechanisms has potential implications for the design of immunotherapy strategies aimed at the upregulation of CD4+ Th1 cell functions in AIDS.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (900.6 KB).

Selected References

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

  1. Ameisen J. C., Capron A. Cell dysfunction and depletion in AIDS: the programmed cell death hypothesis. Immunol Today. 1991 Apr;12(4):102–105. doi: 10.1016/0167-5699(91)90092-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Banda N. K., Bernier J., Kurahara D. K., Kurrle R., Haigwood N., Sekaly R. P., Finkel T. H. Crosslinking CD4 by human immunodeficiency virus gp120 primes T cells for activation-induced apoptosis. J Exp Med. 1992 Oct 1;176(4):1099–1106. doi: 10.1084/jem.176.4.1099. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bonyhadi M. L., Rabin L., Salimi S., Brown D. A., Kosek J., McCune J. M., Kaneshima H. HIV induces thymus depletion in vivo. Nature. 1993 Jun 24;363(6431):728–732. doi: 10.1038/363728a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brunner T., Mogil R. J., LaFace D., Yoo N. J., Mahboubi A., Echeverri F., Martin S. J., Force W. R., Lynch D. H., Ware C. F. Cell-autonomous Fas (CD95)/Fas-ligand interaction mediates activation-induced apoptosis in T-cell hybridomas. Nature. 1995 Feb 2;373(6513):441–444. doi: 10.1038/373441a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chehimi J., Starr S. E., Frank I., D'Andrea A., Ma X., MacGregor R. R., Sennelier J., Trinchieri G. Impaired interleukin 12 production in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. J Exp Med. 1994 Apr 1;179(4):1361–1366. doi: 10.1084/jem.179.4.1361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clerici M., Lucey D. R., Berzofsky J. A., Pinto L. A., Wynn T. A., Blatt S. P., Dolan M. J., Hendrix C. W., Wolf S. F., Shearer G. M. Restoration of HIV-specific cell-mediated immune responses by interleukin-12 in vitro. Science. 1993 Dec 10;262(5140):1721–1724. doi: 10.1126/science.7903123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Clerici M., Sarin A., Coffman R. L., Wynn T. A., Blatt S. P., Hendrix C. W., Wolf S. F., Shearer G. M., Henkart P. A. Type 1/type 2 cytokine modulation of T-cell programmed cell death as a model for human immunodeficiency virus pathogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Dec 6;91(25):11811–11815. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.25.11811. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Clerici M., Stocks N. I., Zajac R. A., Boswell R. N., Lucey D. R., Via C. S., Shearer G. M. Detection of three distinct patterns of T helper cell dysfunction in asymptomatic, human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive patients. Independence of CD4+ cell numbers and clinical staging. J Clin Invest. 1989 Dec;84(6):1892–1899. doi: 10.1172/JCI114376. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Clerici M., Wynn T. A., Berzofsky J. A., Blatt S. P., Hendrix C. W., Sher A., Coffman R. L., Shearer G. M. Role of interleukin-10 in T helper cell dysfunction in asymptomatic individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. J Clin Invest. 1994 Feb;93(2):768–775. doi: 10.1172/JCI117031. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. D'Andrea A., Aste-Amezaga M., Valiante N. M., Ma X., Kubin M., Trinchieri G. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) inhibits human lymphocyte interferon gamma-production by suppressing natural killer cell stimulatory factor/IL-12 synthesis in accessory cells. J Exp Med. 1993 Sep 1;178(3):1041–1048. doi: 10.1084/jem.178.3.1041. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dhein J., Walczak H., Bäumler C., Debatin K. M., Krammer P. H. Autocrine T-cell suicide mediated by APO-1/(Fas/CD95) Nature. 1995 Feb 2;373(6513):438–441. doi: 10.1038/373438a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Estaquier J., Idziorek T., de Bels F., Barré-Sinoussi F., Hurtrel B., Aubertin A. M., Venet A., Mehtali M., Muchmore E., Michel P. Programmed cell death and AIDS: significance of T-cell apoptosis in pathogenic and nonpathogenic primate lentiviral infections. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Sep 27;91(20):9431–9435. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.20.9431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. 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]
  14. Gazzinelli R. T., Makino M., Chattopadhyay S. K., Snapper C. M., Sher A., Hügin A. W., Morse H. C., 3rd CD4+ subset regulation in viral infection. Preferential activation of Th2 cells during progression of retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency in mice. J Immunol. 1992 Jan 1;148(1):182–188. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gougeon M. L., Garcia S., Heeney J., Tschopp R., Lecoeur H., Guetard D., Rame V., Dauguet C., Montagnier L. Programmed cell death in AIDS-related HIV and SIV infections. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1993 Jun;9(6):553–563. doi: 10.1089/aid.1993.9.553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Graziosi C., Pantaleo G., Gantt K. R., Fortin J. P., Demarest J. F., Cohen O. J., Sékaly R. P., Fauci A. S. Lack of evidence for the dichotomy of TH1 and TH2 predominance in HIV-infected individuals. Science. 1994 Jul 8;265(5169):248–252. doi: 10.1126/science.8023143. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Groux H., Torpier G., Monté D., Mouton Y., Capron A., Ameisen J. C. Activation-induced death by apoptosis in CD4+ T cells from human immunodeficiency virus-infected asymptomatic individuals. J Exp Med. 1992 Feb 1;175(2):331–340. doi: 10.1084/jem.175.2.331. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Idziorek T., Estaquier J., De Bels F., Ameisen J. C. YOPRO-1 permits cytofluorometric analysis of programmed cell death (apoptosis) without interfering with cell viability. J Immunol Methods. 1995 Sep 25;185(2):249–258. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(95)00172-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Itoh N., Yonehara S., Ishii A., Yonehara M., Mizushima S., Sameshima M., Hase A., Seto Y., Nagata S. The polypeptide encoded by the cDNA for human cell surface antigen Fas can mediate apoptosis. Cell. 1991 Jul 26;66(2):233–243. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90614-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ju S. T., Panka D. J., Cui H., Ettinger R., el-Khatib M., Sherr D. H., Stanger B. Z., Marshak-Rothstein A. Fas(CD95)/FasL interactions required for programmed cell death after T-cell activation. Nature. 1995 Feb 2;373(6513):444–448. doi: 10.1038/373444a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Klas C., Debatin K. M., Jonker R. R., Krammer P. H. Activation interferes with the APO-1 pathway in mature human T cells. Int Immunol. 1993 Jun;5(6):625–630. doi: 10.1093/intimm/5.6.625. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Laurent-Crawford A. G., Krust B., Muller S., Rivière Y., Rey-Cuillé M. A., Béchet J. M., Montagnier L., Hovanessian A. G. The cytopathic effect of HIV is associated with apoptosis. Virology. 1991 Dec;185(2):829–839. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(91)90554-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Lewis D. E., Tang D. S., Adu-Oppong A., Schober W., Rodgers J. R. Anergy and apoptosis in CD8+ T cells from HIV-infected persons. J Immunol. 1994 Jul 1;153(1):412–420. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Maggi E., Mazzetti M., Ravina A., Annunziato F., de Carli M., Piccinni M. P., Manetti R., Carbonari M., Pesce A. M., del Prete G. Ability of HIV to promote a TH1 to TH0 shift and to replicate preferentially in TH2 and TH0 cells. Science. 1994 Jul 8;265(5169):244–248. doi: 10.1126/science.8023142. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Martin S. J., Matear P. M., Vyakarnam A. HIV-1 infection of human CD4+ T cells in vitro. Differential induction of apoptosis in these cells. J Immunol. 1994 Jan 1;152(1):330–342. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Meyaard L., Otto S. A., Jonker R. R., Mijnster M. J., Keet R. P., Miedema F. Programmed death of T cells in HIV-1 infection. Science. 1992 Jul 10;257(5067):217–219. doi: 10.1126/science.1352911. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. 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]
  28. Miyawaki T., Uehara T., Nibu R., Tsuji T., Yachie A., Yonehara S., Taniguchi N. Differential expression of apoptosis-related Fas antigen on lymphocyte subpopulations in human peripheral blood. J Immunol. 1992 Dec 1;149(11):3753–3758. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Oehm A., Behrmann I., Falk W., Pawlita M., Maier G., Klas C., Li-Weber M., Richards S., Dhein J., Trauth B. C. Purification and molecular cloning of the APO-1 cell surface antigen, a member of the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor superfamily. Sequence identity with the Fas antigen. J Biol Chem. 1992 May 25;267(15):10709–10715. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Oyaizu N., McCloskey T. W., Coronesi M., Chirmule N., Kalyanaraman V. S., Pahwa S. Accelerated apoptosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infected patients and in CD4 cross-linked PBMCs from normal individuals. Blood. 1993 Dec 1;82(11):3392–3400. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Paul W. E., Seder R. A. Lymphocyte responses and cytokines. Cell. 1994 Jan 28;76(2):241–251. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(94)90332-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Ramsdell F., Seaman M. S., Miller R. E., Picha K. S., Kennedy M. K., Lynch D. H. Differential ability of Th1 and Th2 T cells to express Fas ligand and to undergo activation-induced cell death. Int Immunol. 1994 Oct;6(10):1545–1553. doi: 10.1093/intimm/6.10.1545. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Rothstein T. L., Wang J. K., Panka D. J., Foote L. C., Wang Z., Stanger B., Cui H., Ju S. T., Marshak-Rothstein A. Protection against Fas-dependent Th1-mediated apoptosis by antigen receptor engagement in B cells. Nature. 1995 Mar 9;374(6518):163–165. doi: 10.1038/374163a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Salgame P., Abrams J. S., Clayberger C., Goldstein H., Convit J., Modlin R. L., Bloom B. R. Differing lymphokine profiles of functional subsets of human CD4 and CD8 T cell clones. Science. 1991 Oct 11;254(5029):279–282. doi: 10.1126/science.254.5029.279. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Sarin A., Clerici M., Blatt S. P., Hendrix C. W., Shearer G. M., Henkart P. A. Inhibition of activation-induced programmed cell death and restoration of defective immune responses of HIV+ donors by cysteine protease inhibitors. J Immunol. 1994 Jul 15;153(2):862–872. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Sato T., Irie S., Kitada S., Reed J. C. FAP-1: a protein tyrosine phosphatase that associates with Fas. Science. 1995 Apr 21;268(5209):411–415. doi: 10.1126/science.7536343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Schuitemaker H., Meyaard L., Kootstra N. A., Dubbes R., Otto S. A., Tersmette M., Heeney J. L., Miedema F. Lack of T cell dysfunction and programmed cell death in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected chimpanzees correlates with absence of monocytotropic variants. J Infect Dis. 1993 Nov;168(5):1140–1147. doi: 10.1093/infdis/168.5.1140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Sher A., Coffman R. L. Regulation of immunity to parasites by T cells and T cell-derived cytokines. Annu Rev Immunol. 1992;10:385–409. doi: 10.1146/annurev.iy.10.040192.002125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Su L., Kaneshima H., Bonyhadi M., Salimi S., Kraft D., Rabin L., McCune J. M. HIV-1-induced thymocyte depletion is associated with indirect cytopathogenicity and infection of progenitor cells in vivo. Immunity. 1995 Jan;2(1):25–36. doi: 10.1016/1074-7613(95)90076-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Terai C., Kornbluth R. S., Pauza C. D., Richman D. D., Carson D. A. Apoptosis as a mechanism of cell death in cultured T lymphoblasts acutely infected with HIV-1. J Clin Invest. 1991 May;87(5):1710–1715. doi: 10.1172/JCI115188. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Trinchieri G. Interleukin-12 and its role in the generation of TH1 cells. Immunol Today. 1993 Jul;14(7):335–338. doi: 10.1016/0167-5699(93)90230-I. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Yamamura M., Uyemura K., Deans R. J., Weinberg K., Rea T. H., Bloom B. R., Modlin R. L. Defining protective responses to pathogens: cytokine profiles in leprosy lesions. Science. 1991 Oct 11;254(5029):277–279. doi: 10.1126/science.254.5029.277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Zauli G., Vitale M., Re M. C., Furlini G., Zamai L., Falcieri E., Gibellini D., Visani G., Davis B. R., Capitani S. In vitro exposure to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 induces apoptotic cell death of the factor-dependent TF-1 hematopoietic cell line. Blood. 1994 Jan 1;83(1):167–175. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES