1. Alveolar macrophages from AIDS patients spontaneously produce elevated levels of TNF-alpha in vitro.
- Author
-
Antinori A, Tamburrini E, Pagliari G, Maiuro G, Pallavicini F, De Luca A, and Ortona L
- Subjects
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome complications, Acute Disease, Adult, Cells, Cultured, Female, HIV Seropositivity immunology, Humans, Lung Diseases, Obstructive immunology, Macrophage Activation, Male, Middle Aged, Pulmonary Fibrosis immunology, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome immunology, Macrophages, Alveolar immunology, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha biosynthesis
- Abstract
In vitro production of TNF-alpha by alveolar macrophages was investigated in 15 AIDS patients with acute interstitial pneumonia and in 4 patients with asymptomatic HIV infection (anti-HIV+) and was compared to that observed in 6 patients with chronic pulmonary disease and in 5 normal controls (undergoing a fiberoptic bronchoscopy for suspected lung malignancy), all 11 HIV negative. Our results show that unstimulated alveolar macrophages of AIDS and anti-HIV+ patients released much more TNF-alpha than subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or healthy controls did: this overproduction may play a role in the pathogenesis of lung damage infection and particularly in AIDS patients.
- Published
- 1992