title: Impairment of circulating lactoferrin in HIV-1 infection.
abstract: Levels of plasma lactoferrin are decreased in HIV-1-infected patients in relation to the progression of the disease. Plasma lactoferrin concentrations were determined using a specific and sensitive enzyme immunoassay. 97 plasma were studied (22 asymptomatic, 45 symptomatic patients compared to 30 healthy controls) and the results showed a highly significant decrease (p < 0.001) of the level of lactoferrin in HIV-1-infected patients (respectively 2.79 +/- 1.2 and 0.68 +/- 0.22 micrograms/ml) compared to controls (4.37 +/- 0.83 micrograms/ml). Since it is well established that plasma lactoferrin level could be influenced by the number of neutrophils, the experiments were reproduced in neutropenic patients who represent 10% of recruitment (6 among 45 symptomatic patients). The plasma from neutropenic symptomatic patients (neutrophils < or = 1,300/mm3) showed their mean lactoferrin level at 0.36 micrograms/ml still far above the normal values. In view of the different reported biological effects of lactoferrin that are of great importance in the non-specific defences, the real biological place of the lack of such a molecule could be one important component of the multifactorial nature of HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: U313 INSERM, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Defer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dugas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damais
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000097:blood*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin