title: Plasma levels of B-lymphocyte stimulator increase with HIV disease progression.
abstract: We measured the plasma levels of B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) in 101 HIV-1-infected patients and 18 controls. BLyS levels were higher among HIV-positive patients [median 5.70 (3.90) versus 4.62 (1.04) ng/ml, P = 0.002], who had significantly higher BLyS and total serum globulin levels with decreasing CD4 cell counts. Moreover, BLyS levels increased exponentially below 100 CD4 cells/microl. BLyS and globulin levels increase as HIV dis ease progresses, suggesting a role for BLyS in the hypergammaglobulinemia of HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Benigno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Hernan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Freimuth
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asaad
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lederman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha