@Article{ecn.2010.0201,
AUTHOR = {Douglas S. Kwon, Daniel E. Kaufmann},
TITLE = {Protective and detrimental roles of IL-10 in HIV pathogenesis},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {21},
YEAR = {2010},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {208--214},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v21n3/65860},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Successful pathogen clearance depends on a finely orchestrated equilibrium between inflammatory
immune responses and immunoregulatory mechanisms that limit collateral tissue damage. The cytokine interleukin
10 (IL-10) has been shown to play a critical role in this balance in numerous infectious diseases. Studies in animal
models have revealed that IL-10 gene-knockout or signaling blockade can enhance resistance to pathogens, and
substantially facilitate viral clearance. These same interventions in other infections however, result in more severe
disease due to the inability of the immune system to adequately contain the pathogen load, and to control immune-mediate
damage. This IL-10-regulated balance is also apparent in human infectious diseases. This review sum-marizes
evidence that IL-10 impacts many aspects of HIV pathogenesis, including the regulation of HIV-specific
CD4 and CD8 T cell functions, as well as modulation of HIV-replication in PBMC subsets. Genetic polymorphisms
in the IL-10 gene promoter that lead to decreased IL-10 expression have been associated with more rapid disease
progression in late stages of HIV infection, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effects of IL-10 may be protective
in the setting of chronic immune activation. We conclude with a discussion of important questions remaining, and
the potential for therapeutic intervention based on manipulation of the IL-10 pathway.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2010.0201}
}