title: The serologic decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) levels are associated with slower disease progression in HIV-1/AIDS patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) super-family. It counteracts the biological effects of Fas ligands and inhibits apoptosis. The goals of this study were to understand the associations between serologic DcR3 (sDcR3) levels and different human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtypes, as well as the AIDS disease progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 61 HIV/AIDS patients, who had been followed up every 6 months for 3 years, were collected. sDcR3 levels were quantified using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sDcR3 levels in patients with HIV-1 subtype B were significantly higher than those in patients infected with subtype CRF01_AE (p < 0.001). In addition, multivariable linear mixed model analysis demonstrated that HIV-1 subtype B and slow disease progression were associated with higher levels of sDcR3, adjusting for potential predictors (p = 0.0008 and 0.0455, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV-1-infected cells may gain a survival advantage by activating DcR3, which prevents infected cell detection by the host immune system. These data indicate that the sDcR3 level is a biomarker for AIDS disease progression.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Heng-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Feng
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Department of Health Risk Management, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shao-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Department and Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Infection and Immunity Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Immunology Centre, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shie-Liang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: AIDS Prevention and Research Centre, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan. Electronic address: arthur@ym.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming Arthur
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers; D018450:Disease Progression; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053323:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 6b / Q000097:blood*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D053323:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 6b; C505911:TNFRSF6B protein, human
keywords: HIV/AIDS; decoy receptor 3 (DcR3); disease progression; subtype