title: Elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in Zairian neonate plasmas: implications for perinatal infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and the ability of plasmas to induce HIV expression in chronically infected cell lines were measured in samples from adults, cord blood, and neonates from Zaire and North America. Plasma levels of TNF alpha were higher in Zairian neonates born to HIV-negative and -positive mothers than in uninfected Zairian adults (612 vs. 128 vs. 8 pg/mL, P < .001); this dichotomy persisted until children were 9 months old. Plasmas from neonates of HIV-negative Zairian mothers also stimulated higher levels of reverse transcriptase from HIV-infected cell lines than did plasma from HIV-negative Zairian adults (1339 vs. 110 cpm, P < .001). Similar patterns were noted in plasmas from HIV-negative North American adults and neonates; however, TNF alpha levels were markedly lower, and smaller differences were noted among North American adults and neonates than those in the Zairian cohort. Markedly elevated plasma TNF alpha levels in Zairian neonates and infants may play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of HIV disease in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 29892.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lubaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: St Louis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Davachi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manzila
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fauci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002460:Cell Line; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha