title: Increased serum levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNF-Rs) in children and adolescents with vertically and horizontally transmitted HIV infection.
abstract: Two different receptors exist for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), designated as p55 (TNF-RI) and p75 (TNF-RII). Soluble (= s) forms of TNF-Rs are secreted after proteolytic cleavage and block the effects of TNF-alpha. sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII and the soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) were determined by ELISA in serum samples of HIV-infected children and adolescents. Twelve children with vertical HIV infection (mean age +/- SD, 5.9 +/- 3.8 years) and 17 horizontally infected patients (16.1 +/- 7.3 years) were classified according to the revised CDC criteria. Twenty healthy control persons (6.4 +/- 5.8 years) showed the following receptor concentrations (median): sTNF-RI 888 pg/ml, sTNF-RII 1,741 pg/ml, sIL-2R 94 pM. Compared to controls, horizontally HIV-infected patients had significantly (Mann-Whitney U test) higher levels for sTNF-RI (median 1,192 pg/ml), sTNF-RII (3,481 pg/ml) and sIL-2R (128 pM). For vertically infected children only sTNF-RII (2,944 pg/ml) was significantly elevated compared to controls. There were no differences in soluble receptor levels between vertical or horizontal transmission. Surprisingly, no significant differences for sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII and sIL-2R occurred when 19 patients in stage CDC I were compared to ten patients in stages II or III. The clearly elevated sTNF-RII levels in patients with horizontal and vertical HIV infection indicate the activation of the monocyte/macrophage system in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Abt. für Antimikrobielle Therapie und Infektionsimmunologie, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital, Klinikum Innenstadt der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martignoni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petropoulou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sölder
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Belohradsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II