Lack of associations of chemotactic cytokines with viral burden, disease progression, or lymphocyte subsets in HIV-infected individuals.
Plasma samples from HIV-infected (HIV+) rapid progressors (RP) and nonprogressors (NP) in the San Francisco Men's Health Study showed significantly elevated levels of RANTES but not macrophage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP1) alpha or MIP1 beta in comparison to HIV-seronegative (HIV-) controls. In 32 individuals who became infected with HIV during the course of this study, RANTES levels were significantly higher in plasma samples collected at the time antibodies to HIV were first detected than in pre-seroconversion plasma samples. Both RP and NP showed significant temporal increases in plasma RANTES concentrations. No significant associations were observed, however, between plasma levels of these chemotactic cytokines and progression or known predictors of progression to AIDS including viral burden, levels of beta 2-microglobulin or neopterin, and levels of activated CD8+ lymphocytes. These findings are consistent with the results of a number of recent reports which suggest that these chemokines do not play a major systemic role in the long-term control of viremia or protection against the progression of HIV disease. It remains possible that chemotactic cytokines may contribute locally to control HIV in lymph nodes or other organs but it is also possible that they may be mediators of potentially harmful inflammatory responses.
Krowka
J F
JF
Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Health Services, Berkeley 94704, USA.
Gesner
M L
ML
Ascher
M S
MS
Sheppard
H W
HW
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins