Brief Report: Soluble CD163 in CMV-Infected and CMV-Uninfected Subjects on Virologically Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy in the ICONA Cohort.
To contribute to the understanding of the role played by cytomegalovirus (CMV) in sustaining monocyte/macrophage-mediated immune activation in antiretroviral therapy treated HIV-infected subjects.



We selected 23 CMV-uninfected and 46 CMV-infected HIV+ subjects, matched for age, CD4 nadir, HIV infection duration, and viral hepatitis serostatus. All subjects were on successful antiretroviral therapy since at least 1 year. A group of 16 healthy donors with similar age and sex was also included. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, sCD163, sCD14, and CMV immunoglobulin G levels were measured in duplicate with human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.



We found significantly higher sCD163 plasma levels in HIV+CMV+ compared with HIV+CMV- subjects and healthy donors. This augmentation was confirmed also when subjects positive for hepatitis C virus-Ab were excluded from analysis. Interestingly, a correlation between anti-CMV immunoglobulin G levels and sCD163, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and sCD14 in HIV+CMV+ subjects was found.



CMV coinfection could be a major driver of monocyte/macrophage activation in virally suppressed HIV+ individuals and might explain the increased risk of non-AIDS morbidity/mortality in HIV/CMV-coinfected subjects.
*Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; †Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy; ‡University of Milan, Milan, Italy; §University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; and ‖Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Serena
S
Vita
Miriam
M
Lichtner
Giulia
G
Marchetti
Claudia
C
Mascia
Esther
E
Merlini
Paola
P
Cicconi
Vincenzo
V
Vullo
Pierluigi
P
Viale
Andrea
A
Costantini
Antonella
A
DʼArminio Monforte
D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D000072230:Sustained Virologic Response; D000098902:CD163 Antigen
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface