title: Circulating levels of RANTES in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection: effect of potent antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: RANTES has been found to suppress human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. To further elucidate the role of this chemokine in HIV-1 infection, RANTES levels were analyzed in serum and platelet-free plasma (PFP) in 53 HIV-1-infected patients and 20 controls. RANTES levels were significantly elevated in both serum and PFP in all clinical stages of HIV-1 infection, with the highest levels in CDC groups A and B. In longitudinal testing, the progressors were characterized by a pronounced decline in serum levels over time; the nonprogressors, however, had only a slight reduction or an increase in RANTES levels. During 16 weeks of indinavir therapy, there was an increase in circulating RANTES levels and enhanced release of RANTES from stimulated CD8+ lymphocytes. The decline in RANTES levels along with disease progression is compatible with RANTES having a beneficial role in HIV-1-infected patients. The increase in RANTES levels during protease inhibitor-containing regimens may represent a previously unrecognized immunologic effect of such therapy.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Internal Medicine, Medical Department A, University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet, Norway. pal.aukrust@klinmed.uio.no
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aukrust
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Frøland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D019469:Indinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D019469:Indinavir