title: Impact of HIV co-infection on plasma level of cytokines and chemokines of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immunologic environment during HIV/M. tuberculosis co-infection is characterized by cytokine and chemokine irregularities that have been shown to increase immune activation, viral replication, and T cell dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed ex vivo plasma samples from 17 HIV negative and 16 HIV pulmonary tuberculosis co infected cases using Luminex assay to see impact of HIV co-infection on plasma level of cytokines and chemokines of pulmonary tuberculosis patients before and after anti Tuberculosis treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median plasma level of IFN-γ, IL-4, MCP-3, MIP-1β and IP-10 was significantly different (P < 0.05) before and after treatment in HIV negative TB patients but not in HIV positive TB patients. There was no significant difference between HIV positive and HIV negative TB patients (P > 0.05) in the plasma level of any of the cytokines or chemokines before treatment and anti TB treatment did not change the level of any of the measured cytokines in HIV positive tuberculosis patients. The ratio of IFN-γ/IL-10 and IFN-γ/IL-4 showed a significant increase after treatment in HIV negative TB cases but not in HIV positive TB cases which might indicate prolonged impairment of immune response to TB in HIV positive TB patients as compared to HIV negative tuberculosis patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV positive and HIV negative Tuberculosis patients display similar plasma cytokine and chemokine pattern. However, anti TB treatment significantly improves the Th1 cytokines and level of chemokines but does not restore the immune response in HIV positive individuals.
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. adane_mihret@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihret
authors.forename: Markos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.forename: Yonas
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bekele
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aseffa
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walzl
authors.forename: Rawleigh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines