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Journal of Virology, November 2002, p. 11710-11714, Vol. 76, No. 22
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.22.11710-11714.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Elevated Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-{alpha}) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Transgenic Mice: Prevention of Death by Antibody to TNF-{alpha}

Swapan K. De,{dagger} Krishnakumar Devadas, and Abner Louis Notkins*

Experimental Medicine Section, Oral Infection and Immunity Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Received 27 March 2002/ Accepted 1 August 2002

Homozygous human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-transgenic mice (Tg26) appear normal at birth but die within 3 to 4 weeks. The skin of these animals shows diffuse scaling and high-level expression of both HIV-1 mRNA and gp120. Previous experiments showed that treatment with human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG) prevented death and the expression of HIV-1 mRNA and gp120. The present experiments were initiated to study the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-{alpha}) in HIV-1-induced pathology. Examination of the sera of Tg26 mice revealed a 50-fold increase in TNF-{alpha} levels compared to those in nontransgenic mice. Treatment with antibody to TNF-{alpha} prevented death, resulted in near normal growth, and produced a marked decrease in skin lesions and a profound reduction in the expression of HIV-1 mRNA and gp120. Both TNF-{alpha} antibody and hCG reduced TNF-{alpha} levels in sera by approximately 75%. We conclude that TNF-{alpha} contributes in a major way to HIV-1-induced pathology in transgenic mice and that both hCG and antibody to TNF-{alpha} prevent the development of pathology by suppressing the level of TNF-{alpha}.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Experimental Medicine Section, Oral Immunity and Infection Branch, Building 30, Room 121, NIDCR, National Institutes of Health, 30 Convent Dr., MSC 4322, Bethesda, MD 20892-4322. Phone: (301) 496-4535. Fax: (301) 402-4163. E-mail: anotkins{at}dir.nidcr.nih.gov.

{dagger} Present address: Center for Drugs Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD 20857-0001.

Journal of Virology, November 2002, p. 11710-11714, Vol. 76, No. 22
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.22.11710-11714.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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