Development and evaluation of a chromatographic procedure for partial purification of substance P with quantitation by an enzyme immunoassay.

We have developed a simple chromatographic procedure for the partial purification of substance P (SP) from acidified plasma and serum samples. We have evaluated a sensitive antigen competition enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the quantitation of SP. The chromatographic procedure has recovery efficiencies ranging from 94.8 to 125%. The immunoreactivity of unknown amounts of purified SP subjected to the preparative procedure yielded a coefficient of variance of 9.4%. The EIA yielded reproducible standard curves having an interassay (n = 8) correlation coefficient of 0.984. The evaluation of normal adult control serum yielded a mean value of 51 pg/ml (range, 35 to 61 pg/ml). The evaluation of 3.33 x concentrates of serum-derived partially purified SP provided uncorrected SP values of 117 to 201 pg/ml, which fell within the midpoint of the three-decalog standard curve. These studies indicate that both the preparative and quantitative procedures are required for the detection of SP in plasma or serum samples collected from patients with several clinical disorders.

Cystamine inhibits HIV type 1 replication in cells of monocyte/macrophage and T cell lineages.

The effects of cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol, MEA) and its disulfide, cystamine, on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) expression in chronically infected promonocytic cells (U1), T cell line (ACH-2), and peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were investigated. U1 and ACH-2 cells constitutively express low levels of virus, which is increased by the addition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and other inducers. Cystamine, in noncytotoxic doses, suppressed in a concentration-dependent fashion the induction of HIV-1 expression mediated by TNF-alpha, IL-6, GM-CSF, and monokine-enriched monocyte culture supernatants in both U1 and ACH-2 cells as determined by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. Similarly, HIV-1 expression was substantially reduced in the cystamine-treated primary MDM cultures compared with the untreated control cultures. The addition of cystamine into HIV-1 chronically infected MDM (12 days after infection was established) also suppressed 80-90% of RT activity in comparison to the untreated controls. HIV-1 (Bal) infected MDM cultures (without cystamine treatment) demonstrated giant syncytium formation, whereas cystamine-treated cultures lacked the giant syncytia induced by HIV-1 infection. Cystamine also inhibited LPS-induced TNF production in MDM. In contrast to cystamine, cysteamine showed no significant effects on either the monokine-induced HIV-1 expression in U1 or ACH-2 or acute and chronic HIV-1 infection in MDM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interferon-gamma corrects the respiratory burst defect in vitro in monocyte-derived macrophages from glycogen storage disease type 1b patients.

Glycogen storage disease (GSD) type 1b is accompanied by decreased respiratory burst activity in peripheral blood phagocytic cells (i.e. monocytes and neutrophils). To elucidate whether this depressed respiratory burst was due to an intrinsic defect of phagocytic cells or due in part to in vivo host factors, we examined superoxide anion (O2-) production in monocytes from five GSD 1b patients cultured 9 d in vitro to allow for differentiation into macrophages (MDM). O2- production in MDM was measured in response to concanavalin A, fMet-Leu-Phe, and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation. GSD 1b MDM had significantly depressed O2- generation with fMet-Leu-Phe and concanavalin A stimulation; however, unlike peripheral blood monocytes, GSD 1b MDM responded to PMA stimulation with O2- production comparable to healthy control donors. The cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) has been shown to enhance O2- production in MDM. When GSD 1b MDM were cultured in the presence of IFN-gamma (1 x 10(5) U/L), O2- production in response to fMet-Leu-Phe, concanavalin A, and PMA was enhanced to rates similar to those of control MDM cultured in the presence of IFN-gamma. Thus, the respiratory burst defect observed in circulating phagocytic cells is also present in vitro in cultured GSD 1b MDM. However, in contrast to circulating phagocytic cells, depressed O2- production in GSD 1b MDM is selective to receptor-mediated activation, but not to PMA stimulation. This defect is correctable after short-term treatment with IFN-gamma, suggesting a role for IFN-gamma in treating the phagocytic defect in this disease.

Thiol suppression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in primary cord blood monocyte-derived macrophages in vitro.

We investigated the effects of glutathione (GSH), the major naturally occurring thiol, and a pharmacologic thiol precursor of GSH, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), on the expression of human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) in primary cord blood and adult donor monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). HIV-1 infection of cord blood and adult MDM was accomplished after incubating 10-15-d-old cultures for 4 h with a monocyte-tropic strain of HIV-1 (Bal). After 1 wk in culture cell supernatants were tested for reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. MDM were exposed to 5, 10 and 20 mM concentrations of both GSH and NAC before infection, during infection, and after infection was established. GSH and NAC suppressed the replication of HIV-1 in both primary cord blood and adult donor MDM in a concentration dependent fashion. These suppressive effects were more pronounced in cord-derived cells than in adult-derived cells. In cells treated with GSH or NAC before infection, there was no significant rise in RT activity as compared with controls. Similarly, when cells were treated with GSH and NAC and simultaneously infected, there was also no significant rise in RT activity after 1 wk in culture. In cells treated after infection was established, RT values were suppressed 80-90% that of untreated controls. This effect persisted for 1-2 wk after exposure to GSH and NAC. Untreated controls demonstrated syncytium formation and lost characteristics of spreading and elongation 2 wk after HIV-1 infection, whereas most of the treated cells remained free of syncytium and retained cytoplasmic spreading, adherence, and elongation. These data are consistent with other studies of thiol suppression of HIV-1 replication and demonstrate a similar observation for primary cultured cord MDM. These results may offer new approaches toward cellular protection after infection with HIV-1.

Centrifugal enhancement of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection and human cytomegalovirus gene expression in human primary monocyte/macrophages in vitro.

In an effort to facilitate the efficiency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and/or human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in primary monocyte/macrophages in vitro, the effect of low-speed centrifugation was studied. The infectivity of three strains (Bal, Ada-M, and IIIB) of HIV-1 tested was significantly enhanced by centrifugal inoculation at a force of 1500g for 60 min. Reverse transcriptase activity and HIV-1 p24 antigen in primary monocyte/macrophages infected by a centrifugal inoculation technique were detectable 3-7 days earlier and were more than 10-fold greater in magnitude (at an early stage of the infection) than those of control cells infected by the conventional inoculation technique. Examination of the cells by indirect immunofluorescence revealed higher expression of HIV-1 p24 protein in the monocyte/macrophages infected by the centrifugal inoculation technique. These differences were directly related to centrifugal inoculation and were evident up to 3 weeks after infection. Enhancement was not observed when centrifugation was carried out before or after HIV-1 infection. Centrifugal inoculation of HCMV also enhanced its immediate-early and early gene expression up to 30- to 50-fold, although neither late nuclear antigens and glycoproteins of HCMV nor infectious virus was detected in HCMV-infected monocyte/macrophage cultures. These results show that centrifugal inoculation is a useful technique for improving the efficiency of HCMV and HIV-1 infection in vitro.

Infection of cord blood monocyte-derived macrophages with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

We have investigated the susceptibility of cord blood monocyte-derived macrophages to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in vitro. Cord blood monocytes were maintained in vitro for 10 to 15 days and then infected with HIV-1. Syncytia were observed 14 days after infection by light microscopy. Viral proteins were detected by immunofluorescence assay. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated typical lentivirus particles within cytoplasmic vacuoles. The supernatants from the HIV-1-infected cultures also contained significant reverse transcriptase activity and p24 antigen. Like adult monocyte/macrophages, cord-derived monocyte/macrophages expressed the CD4 receptor molecule. Pretreatment with blocking antibody prior to infection with HIV-1 Bal significantly reduced or blocked infection of cord monocyte/macrophages. When cord and adult monocyte/macrophages were infected with HIV-1 Bal or Ada-M and directly compared, higher reverse transcriptase activities and p24 antigen expression were obtained with cord monocyte/macrophages. However, no significant difference was found between adult and cord monocyte/macrophages infected with HIV-1 IIIB. These observations suggest that cord monocyte-derived macrophages may be important in the pathogenesis of pediatric AIDS and that the increased susceptibility of cord monocyte/macrophages to HIV-1 infection in vitro may be relevant to the enhanced susceptibility of neonates to HIV-1 diseases in vivo.

The response pattern of human T cells to stimulation following expansion in IL-2.

The ability to stimulate and induce responses of T cells is influenced by their age and state of differentiation. We have examined the response upon restimulation of T cells expanded in IL-2. Our results demonstrate that large numbers of T cells, which after activation react by secreting IL-2, can be obtained from small numbers of PBL. In this study T cells were grown in IL-2 and, after 12-14 days, IL-2 was withdrawn in order to deprive them of growth factors. Our findings showed that after resting for 48 hours without IL-2, IL-2-dependent cells reverted to small lymphocytes, ceased to incorporate 3H-TdR, and had no mRNA for activation antigens such as Tac or IL-2. The cells could be reactivated to proliferate by stimulation with a calcium ionophore ionomycin and phorbol dibutyrate (PdB). Cells from insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients with a defined immunoregulatory defect were then studied. Our results demonstrated that the IL-2 expanded cells evidenced the immunoregulatory defect for IL-2 synthesis that we had initially defined using virgin T cells from peripheral blood. These results demonstrate that studies of immune function can be undertaken in donors from whom limited numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes are available using primed cells which have been allowed to dedifferentiate.