Interleukin-8 Stimulates Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication and Is a Potential New Target for Antiretroviral Therapy

Production of the C-X-C chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and growth-regulated oncogene alpha (GRO-α) in macrophages is stimulated by exposure to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We have demonstrated previously that GRO-α then stimulates HIV-1 replication in both T lymphocytes and macrophages. Here we demonstrate that IL-8 also stimulates HIV-1 replication in macrophages and T lymphocytes. We further show that increased levels of IL-8 are present in the lymphoid tissue of patients with AIDS. In addition, we demonstrate that compounds which inhibit the actions of IL-8 and GRO-α via their receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, also inhibit HIV-1 replication in both T lymphocytes and macrophages, indicating potential therapeutic uses for these compounds in HIV-1 infection and AIDS.