Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor- (TNF ) and Soluble TNF Receptors in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection-Correlations to Clinical, Immunologic, and Virologic Parameters

Abstract

Two EIAs (Medgenix and Quantikine) and a bioassay were used to measure tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) in serum samples from 73 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-seropositive patients and in samples from 2 control groups. All clinical groups of HIV-1-infected patients, regardless of concurrent illness, had significantly elevated levels of both types of soluble TNF receptors (sTNFRs) and immunoreactive TNFα (Medgenix EIA), with the highest concentrations among the AIDS patients. These TNF parameters were significantly correlated with reduced CD4⁺ lymphocyte counts. Only a few HIV-I-infected patients had detectable TNFα levels measured by the Quantikine EIA. TNFα bioactivity was significantly raised only in the AIDS group. Serially measured sTNFRs, expressed as sTNFR slopes, were significantly associated with survival in the patient group. The raised levels of immunoreactive TNFα and sTNFRs strongly indicate activation of the TNFα system during HIV-1 infection. Levels increase with disease progression and degree of immunodeficiency; thus, serially measured sTNFRs may give useful prognostic information in HIV-1 infection.