AEGiS-11IAC: Dysregulated cytokine kinetics prior to AIDS.

11th International AIDS Conference


Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Print this Article


Dysregulated cytokine kinetics prior to AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:442 (abstract no. Pub.A.1026)
Salazar-Gonzalez JF, Martinez-Maza1 O, Nishanian PG, Aziz N, Grosser S, Taylor JM, Detels R, Fahey JL; UCLA School of Medicine, Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, Los Angeles, CA.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the kinetics of production of serum levels of selected cytokines and surrogate activation markers in the 4 years preceding AIDS diagnosis, in HIV seropositive (HIV+) subjects manifesting an accelerated decline in CD4 numbers.

METHODS: Ten HIV+ individuals (cases) that demonstrate a rapid decline in CD4 count and developed AIDS were examined. As controls, 10 HIV+ individuals who did not develop AIDS in a period of 6 years and had stable CD4 numbers, were age- and CD4 matched at time of entry with cases. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, soluble TNF-Receptor II (sTNF-RII), neopterin and beta2microglobulin (beta2M) were determined at 6 months intervals using frozen serum specimens.

RESULTS: Cases had stable CD4 counts 3 years prior to AIDS development, followed by a transient increase that preceded the progressive loss of CD4+ lymphocytes seen in the 2 years prior to AIDS diagnosis. Statistically higher serum levels of sTNF-RII, neopterin and beta2M, but not TNF-alpha were seen in cases, as compared to controls at different time points prior to AIDS development. These increases appeared to precede the rapid decline in CD4 numbers. When compared to controls, cases had a significant increase in neopterin (-42 months), beta2M (-36 months) and sTNF-RII (-30 months) prior to AIDS diagnosis. Mean serum TNF-alpha levels were higher in cases as compared to controls at all time points, but differences were not statistically different.

CONCLUSIONS: Dysregulated kinetics of cytokine production is an early event that precedes the rapid loss of CD4+ lymphocytes and the development of AIDS. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that cytokine dysregulation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HIV disease.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Cytokines, Neopterin, Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Antigens, CD4, Biological Markers, Case-Control Studies, ICA11KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,cd4lymphocytecount,hivinfections,hivseropositivity,cd4-positivet-lymphocytes,cytokines,neopterin,receptors,tumornecrosisfactor,antigens,cd4,biologicalmarkers,case-controlstudies,ica11

960707
PubA1026

Copyright © 1996 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.