title: Activation of tumor necrosis factor--alpha system in HIV-1 infection: association with markers of immune activation.
abstract: The relationships between serum levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNFRs) and other prognostic and immunological parameters in different immunological subgroups of 64 HIV-1 infected patients were studied. In the patient group as a whole, the raised serum levels of sTNFRs were significantly inversely correlated to the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and significantly positively correlated with serum levels of neopterin, HIV-1 p24 antigen and the soluble CD8/CD8+ lymphocyte ratio. However, when the patients were classified into three separate immunological subgroups according to the numbers of CD4+ lymphocytes, only serum levels of neopterin were significantly correlated to levels of sTNFRs in all the defined immunological subgroups. These results indicate that HIV-1 infection is associated with a persistent and chronic immune activation in the TNF system manifested by raised serum levels of sTNFRs, which may reflect sustained activation of the immune system particularly in monocytes/macrophages. Further, these results confirm that, when comparing immunological and virological parameters in HIV-1 infection, different results may be obtained in different immunological subgroups of patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Dept. A, University of Oslo, National Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aukrust
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Liabakk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Espevik
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Frøland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D016827:CD8 Antigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin