Effect of Thymic Hormones on Interleukin 2 Synthesis by Lymphocytes from HIV-Positive PRE-AIDS Subjects

Abstract

The PHA-induced synthesis of interleukin 2 (IL-2) by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 9 normal and 8 pre-AIDS individuals was evaluated. IL-2 content in supernatant fluids of PBL cultures derived from pre-AIDS patients was only around 20% of that found in normal PBL cultures. The addition of two thymic preparations, thymosin faction 5 and TFX-Polfa, to PHA-stimulated PBL cultures from pre-AIDS patients caused significant increase of IL-2 content in cultures. Thymosin alfal was ineffective in this respect. However, thymic factors corrected only partially the defective IL-2 synthesis by PBL from pre-AIDS patients increasing it to ca. 35% of value for normal PBL. The findings suggest the potential of PBL from pre-AIDS patients to respond in vitro to enhancing activity of thymic hormones.