title: Relationship of plasma HIV-RNA levels and levels of TNF-alpha and immune activation products in HIV infection.
abstract: The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load and cytokine expression. HIV-RNA plasma levels were determined in 34 HIV-seropositive (HIV+) asymptomatic subjects [range: 0.5 to 211 kiloequivalents (kEq)/ml HIV-RNAJ, by a modified branched-DNA (bDNA) assay. Plasma HIV-RNA levels were positively correlated with increased plasma levels of TNF-alpha, soluble TNF receptor type II, soluble IL-2 receptor, beta 2-microglobulin, and neopterin, but not with plasma IL-6 levels. In contrast, increased viral load and diminished CD4 counts correlated weakly. TNF-alpha mRNA levels, as determined by bDNA technology, were not significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from HIV-infected subjects, compared to HIV-seronegative (HIV-) subjects, and were not correlated with plasma levels of HIV-RNA, cytokines, or activation markers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a self-reinforcing mechanism exists between TNF-alpha production and generalized immune activation on one hand with HIV replication on the other.
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunology and Disease (CIRID), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Salazar-Gonzalez
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martinez-Maza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kolberg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yeghiazarian
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fahey
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha