Characterization of the main placental cytokine profiles from HIV‐1‐infected pregnant women treated with anti‐retroviral drugs in France

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 149; no. 3; pp. 430 - 439
• Main Authors: Faye, A., Pornprasert, S., Mary, J.‐Y., Dolcini, G., Derrien, M., Barré‐Sinoussi, F., Chaouat, G., Menu, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2007; Blackwell; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; anti‐retroviral treatment; Biological and medical sciences; Chemokine CXCL12; Chemokines, CXC - biosynthesis; Chemokines, CXC - genetics; cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - genetics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Interleukin-8 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-8 - genetics; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor - biosynthesis; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor - genetics; Molecular biophysics; mother‐to‐child transmission; placenta; Placenta - immunology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - drug therapy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - immunology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - virology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Tissue Culture Techniques; Translational Studies; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Viral Load; France; Europe; HIV-1; HIV-1 virus; Fetal membrane; Biochemistry; Characterization; anti-retroviral treatment; Adult; Antiviral; Female; cytokines; Woman; mother-to-child transmission; Human; Drug; Immunopathology; Cytokine; Retroviridae; AIDS; Biophysics; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Pregnancy; Placenta; Treatment; Viral disease; Vertical transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Molecular biology
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2007.03411.x

Summary
Cytokines are involved in regulating HIV‐1 infection. They are also placental environment major components. We assessed the potential impact of HIV‐1 infection and/or anti‐retroviral drugs on the placental cytokine profiles that may be involved in controlling HIV‐1 placental dissemination. Placental explants were obtained after elective caesarean section from anti‐retroviral‐treated HIV‐1‐infected pregnant women and from HIV‐1 non‐infected pregnant women. The main placental cytokines were assessed for protein secretion in the supernatants of 24‐h placental culture explants and/or in uncultured placental explants for mRNA expression levels. The cytokine profiles were different between the HIV‐1‐infected and the non‐infected groups. Higher medians of leukaemia inhibiting factor (LIF), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐8 secretion were found in the 24‐h culture supernatant of term placenta from HIV‐1‐infected women. High median levels of IL‐16 and regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) levels were found in both groups. The mRNA expression medians were lower for TNF‐α and IL‐8 and higher for stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) in uncultured placental explants from HIV‐1‐infected women. In the HIV‐1‐infected group, but not in the non‐infected group, the secretion levels of TNF‐α and IL‐8, as well as their mRNA expression levels, were highly positively correlated; furthermore, their secretion levels were correlated positively with LIF and IL‐10 secretion levels. We found no correlation between the cytokine levels and the immunovirological status of the HIV‐1‐infected mothers or the type or duration of treatment. These results highlight the potential impact of HIV‐1 and of the anti‐retroviral treatments on the placental cytokines pattern, independently of their anti‐viral activity.