Elevated levels of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the serum of children vertically infected with HIV-1.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate serum levels of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (cICAM-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in HIV-1-infected children at different stages of infection in children treated or not treated with Zidovudine (ZDV).


METHODS
Serum levels of cICAM-1 and TNF-alpha, determined by enzyme immunoassays, were evaluated in 52 HIV-1-infected children, aged between 1 month and 13 years; 35 children were not treated with ZDV and 17 were treated with ZDV.


RESULTS
cICAM-1 (596 +/- 41 ng/ml) and TNF-alpha (284 +/- 29 pg/ml) levels were significantly elevated in HIV-1-infected children compared with HIV-1-uninfected age-matched controls (cICAM = 295 +/- 17 ng/ml; TNF-alpha = 4.8 +/- 0.89 pg/ml). No significant differences in either parameter were observed between children at different stages of HIV-1 disease. By contrast, a marked statistically significant, reduction of cICAM and TNF-alpha levels was observed in HIV-infected children undergoing antiretroviral therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum levels of cICAM-1 and TNF-alpha were significantly elevated in HIV-1-infected children regardless of their clinical stage. Moreover, antiretroviral treatment appeared to reduce the serum levels of cICAM-1 and TNF-alpha.
Obregón
E
E
Division of Immunology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Börner
C
C
Navarro
J
J
Gurbindo
M D
MD
Fernández-Cruz
E
E
Muñoz-Fernández
M A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015215:Zidovudine