Isoprinosine effects on interleukin-1 production in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

The in vitro effects of isoprinosine (ISO) on the production of IL-1 in AIDS patients and normal controls were investigated in this study. IL-1 production from adherent cells was measured by an indirect method using EL-4 cells. Five of eleven AIDS patients had depressed IL-1 production. Various concentrations of ISO were used to treat the adherent cells in vitro and the optimal concentration for stimulating IL-1 production was determined to be 100 μg/ml/10 6 cells. IL-1 production was augmented to normal or to near normal levels in four of five AIDS patients. Our results indicate that depressed immunity seen in some AIDS patients may be partly due to the depressed in IL-1 production and also that ISO can act as an immune potentiation in enhancing the production of this lymphokine in vitro.