ABSTRACT
The host defense response to infection necessarily involves the interplay of effector cells and signaling molecules. The particular pattern of signals cre ated by cytokines may vary with the infectious agent and with the stage of disease for specific chronic infections such as human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). The effects of cytokines range from maximal enhancement of de fense to overtly deleterious organ dysfunction, as in the case of septic shock or adult respiratory distress syndromes. Through the advent of biotechnol ogy, manipulation of these responses is now in the hands of the clinician. While most of the current uses of available cytokines focus on improving effector cell numbers, there is increasing attention paid to the ability to use recombinant proteins to augment functional characteristics of cells and to potentially abrogate excessive host defense responses. This chapter reviews the available data on cytokine therapy to improve cell numbers in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and discusses evolving uses of cytokines to augment host defense in HIV and other infections.
