Decreases in plasma TNF-α level and IFN-γ mRNA level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and an increase in IL-2 mRNA level in PBMC are associated with effective highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients

Abstract

SUMMARY In this study, we investigated the cytokine profiles of 14 treatment-naive HIV-infected patients on the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). At baseline, plasma levels of TNF-α and its mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were highest in the most severely immunocompromised patients (<200 CD4+ cells/mm3). After 12 months of HAART, the virus was undetectable in the plasma of all patients (<200 copies/ml), and median CD4 T cell counts had increased (+164 cells/mm3). We also observed a gradual decrease in the number of proviral DNA copies in PBMC and in immune activation, with lower levels of IFN-γ mRNA in PBMC associated with weaker activation of CD8+ T cells and lower levels of plasma TNF-α. IL-2 mRNA levels in PBMC were found to increase in parallel. The decrease in TNF-α and IFN-γ levels and the increase in IL-2 production appear to be correlated with the efficacy of HAART in naive immunocompromised HIV-infected individuals.