Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Phenotype and Interleukin-2/Interleukin-10 Ratio Are Associated Markers of Protection and Progression in HIV Infection

• Published in: Blood Vol. 88; no. 2; pp. 574 - 579
• Main Authors: Clerici, Mario, Balotta, Claudia, Salvaggio, Antonino, Riva, Chiara, Trabattoni, Daria, Papagno, Laura, Berlusconi, Alberto, Rusconi, Stefano, Villa, Maria Luisa, Moroni, Mauro, Galli, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Elsevier Inc 15.07.1996; The Americain Society of Hematology
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Comorbidity; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Disease Progression; Female; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; HIV-1 - physiology; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; Interleukin-2 - metabolism; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Phenotype; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Virus Replication; Human; Immunoprotection; Immunopathology; Cytokine; Retroviridae; Biological marker; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Infection; Virus; Phenotype; Interleukin 2; Viral disease; Interleukin 10; Lentivirinae; Evolution; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V88.2.574.bloodjournal882574

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolability, rate of viral replication, HIV phenotype, type 1 and type 2 cytokine production, and CD4 counts were cross-sectionally analyzed in 63 HIV-seropositive (HIV+) individuals to establish possible correlations between virologic and immunologic markers of protection and progression. We observed that these markers are tightly correlated. Thus, lack or low prevalence of HIV isolability and the presence of nonsyncitium inducing strains are associated with the strongest type 1 cytokine production, the weakest type 2 cytokine production, and highest CD4 counts. Conversely, the isolation of highly replicating, syncitium-inducing HIV strains is associated with the weakest type 1 cytokine production, the strongest type 2 cytokine production, and lowest CD4 counts. Additionally, it was determined that the interleukin (ID-10/IL-2 ratio best discriminates among different virologic scenarios. These data suggest that the virologic and immunologic correlates of disease protection and progression might be associated variables that define two different subsets of HIV+ individuals and lend support to a viro-immunologic hypothesis of HIV infection.