Rapid and Slow Progressors Show Increased IL-6 and IL-10 Levels in the Pre-AIDS Stage of HIV Infection

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 5; p. e0156163
• Main Authors: de Medeiros, Rúbia M., Valverde-Villegas, Jacqueline M., Junqueira, Dennis M., Gräf, Tiago, Lindenau, Juliana D., de Mello, Marineide G., Vianna, Priscila, Almeida, Sabrina E. M., Chies, Jose Artur B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23.05.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - blood; Adult; AIDS; Analysis; Antiretroviral drugs; Biology and Life Sciences; Chronic infection; Cytokines; Development and progression; Disease Progression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Helper cells; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - pathology; HIV-1; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Interleukin 10; Interleukin 6; Interleukin-10 - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukins; Laboratories; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medical records; Medical research; Medicine and health sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular biology; Physiological aspects; Plasma levels; Prodromal Symptoms; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors; Viral infections; Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156163

Cytokines are intrinsically related to disease progression in HIV infection. We evaluated the plasma levels of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines in extreme progressors, including slow (SPs) and rapid (RPs) progressors, who were thus classified based on clinical and laboratory follow-up covering a period of time before the initiation of HAART, ranging from 93-136.5 months for SPs and 7.5-16.5 months for RPs. Analyses were also performed based on the different stages of HIV infection (chronic, pre-HAART individuals-subjects sampled before initiating HAART but who initiated therapy from 12 to 24 months-and those receiving HAART). The plasma cytokine levels of 16 HIV-infected rapid progressors and 25 slow progressors were measured using a Human Th1/Th2/Th17 CBA kit. The IL-6 and IL-10 plasma levels differed significantly between the stages of HIV infection. The IL-6 levels were higher in slow progressors pre-HAART than in chronically infected SPs and HIV-seronegative individuals. The IL-10 levels were higher in slow progressors pre-HAART than in slow progressors receiving HAART and HIV-seronegative controls, and in rapid progressors, the IL-10 levels were higher in pre-HAART subjects than in HIV-seronegative controls. The results reflect the changes in the cytokine profile occurring during different clinical stages in HIV+ subjects. Our results suggest an association between increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels and pre-HAART stages independent of the slow or rapid progression status of the subjects. Thus, increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels could indicate a global inflammatory status and could be used as markers of the disease course in HIV-infected individuals.