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Abstract

Title: HIV infection--induced posttranslational modification of T cell signaling molecules associated with disease progression.
Author: Stefanova I, Saville MW, Peters C, Cleghorn FR, Schwartz D, Venzon DJ, Weinhold KJ, Jack N, Bartholomew C, Blattner WA, Yarchoan R, Bolen JB, Horak ID
Journal: J Clin Invest 98(6):1290-1297
Year: 1996
Month: September

Abstract: In attempt to elucidate the mechanism of the HIV infection induced T cell unresponsiveness, we studied signal-transducing molecules proximal to the T cell receptor (TCR) in T lymphocytes of HIV-infected individuals. Total amounts of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) Lck, Fyn, and ZAP-70 and the zeta chain of the TCR were found significantly decreased in T cells of symptomatic/AIDS patients as well as in T cells of individuals in acute and early asymptomatic stages of HIV infection. Unexpectedly, the detection of Lck, Fyn, and ZAP-70 was reversed after the treatment of cell lysates with dithiothreitol. This suggests that PTKs Lck, Fyn, and ZAP-70 were modified by a mechanism altering the status of sulfhydryl groups. Moreover, this mechanism seems to affect selectively T cells of HIV infected patients since B cell PTKs Syk and Lyn were detected structurally and functionally intact. Interestingly, similar alterations of signaling molecules were not detected in T cells of HIV-infected long-term asymptomatic individuals. Modification of T cell PTKs may thus underlie the HIV-induced impairment of lymphocyte function and may potentially predict disease progression.