L-Assessment of cytokine values in serum by RT-PCR in HIV-1 infected individuals with and without highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART)

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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.

V.14, n.4, p.685-702, 2008.

Original paper - ISSN 1678-9199.

ASSESSMENT OF CYTOKINE VALUES IN SERUM BY RT-PCR IN HIV-1 INFECTED INDIVIDUALS WITH AND WITHOUT HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY (HAART)

MEIRA DA (1), ALMEIDA RAMB (1), BARBOSA AN (1), DE SOUZA LR (1), OLIVO TET (1), HENRIQUES RMS (1), GOLIM MA (1), ARAÚJO JR JP (2), NAGOSHI LR (1), ORIKAZA CM (1), CALVI SA (1)

(1) Department of Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil; (2) Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Botucatu Bioscience Institute, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: A cross-sectional study was performed on HIV-1 infected individuals with or without antiretroviral treatment (ARV) in the AIDS Day Hospital, Botucatu Medical School, UNESP. Between August 2004 and October 2005, 73 HIV-1 infected individuals were divided into three groups: infected individuals with or without AIDS who had never received ARV (G1 = 15); patients on HAART that had had plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) equal to or greater than 50 copies/mL (G2 = 27); and patients on HAART with undetectable VL for at least the past six months (G3 = 31). There was also an additional group that comprised blood donors without any sign of the disease and with negative HIV serum tests (G4 = 20), which was the control group. Serum cytokine levels (values in pg/mL) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and specific mRNA expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Both techniques were performed on the four groups for TNF-alpha, IL-2, INF-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10. All patients were submitted to VL determination and CD4+ and CD8+T lymphocyte counts. The analysis of the results revealed a significant comparison among groups for both methods and an association between the latter (> 80% – r2 > 0.80). There was only one exception, in control individuals for IL-2 by ELISA. The cytokine profiles, in both methods, for the three patient groups, were mature Th-0. The behaviors of IL-2 and INF-gamma required emphasis due to consequent expression of dominant Th profile. Both methods showed low IL-2 and high mean values of INF-gamma in the three groups. Several authors have recently drawn attention to the substantial apoptosis of infected and non-infected CD4+T cells, mainly during primary infection, persisting only in those with INF-gamma phenotype producer and not IL-2. HIV infected individuals submitted to HAART are expected to produce IL-2 in an attempt to present Th-1 profile, but in most cases this did not occur.

DOMINGOS ALVES MEIRA, Departamento de Doenças Tropicais e Diagnóstico por Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, UNESP, Distrito de Rubião Júnior s/n, Botucatu, SP, 18618-000, Brasil. Phone: +55 14 3811 6212. Fax: +55 14 3815 9898.