Interferon-alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in serum of patients in various stages of HIV-1 infection.
Serum samples of 120 patients in different stages of chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, 11 patients with primary HIV-1 infection (PHI), and 49 HIV-1 seronegative homosexual men were analyzed for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), and HIV-1 p24 antigen. Increased levels of IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha were found in some, but not all, cases with PHI. During progressing disease IFN-alpha occurred in serum with increasing frequency and concentration. Raised levels of TNF-alpha were found in all stages of chronic infection, but were less common in patients with AIDS than were raised levels of IFN-alpha. The levels of the two substances were not correlated. There was a correlation between IFN-alpha, but not TNF-alpha, and the occurrence of HIV-1 p24 antigen in serum. These results suggest that IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha are induced by different agents during HIV-1 infection. The findings would be consistent with the hypothesis that IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha are counteracting forces that have important down- and upregulatory effects, respectively, on HIV-1 replication in vivo.
von Sydow
M
M
Department of Virology, Central Microbiological Laboratory, Stockholm County Council, Sweden.
Sönnerborg
A
A
Gaines
H
H
Strannegård
O
O
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000097:blood; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000097:blood; D014779:Virus Replication
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D007370:Interferon Type I; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014758:Viral Core Proteins