title: HIV-1 replication in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: The HIV-1 RNA in plasma and CSF samples from 40 HIV-1 infected patients was measured by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The possible implication of cytokines in HIV-1 replication was investigated by measuring the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), macrophage colony stimulation factor (M-CSF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in these fluids. HIV-1 RNA was quantified in all plasma samples and in 87.5% of the CSF samples. CSF HIV-1 RNA titers did not correlate with the stage of disease or the CD4+ T cell counts, unlike the plasma HIV-1 RNA titers. These results were confirmed when patients with a blood brain barrier damage, as assessed by the CSF/ plasma albumin ratio, were excluded from the analysis. TNF-alpha levels were statistically correlated with the HIV-1 RNA in plasma and CSF. These data demonstrate that HIV-1 replication in the CSF at each clinical stage can be accurately measured with PCR and, although the titers of HIV-1 RNA copies in the CSF are correlated with those in the plasma, the magnitude of HIV-1 replication in CSF is not directly linked to the stage of disease, or to the CD4+ T cell count. The significance of early high levels of HIV-1 RNA in CSF is now being studied prospectively.
authors.affiliation: Unité Infectiologie, Hôpital Chalucet, Toulon, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lafeuillade
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poggi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Profizi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sayada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor