LACK OF ASSOCIATIONS OF CHEMOTACTIC CYTOKINES WITH VIRAL BURDEN, DISEASE PROGRESSION, OR LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS

Plasma samples from HIV-infected (HIV+) rapid progressors (RP) and non progressors (NP) in the San Francisco Men's Health Study showed signif icantly elevated levels of RANTES but not macrophage inflammatory prot ein 1 (MIP1) alpha or MIP1 beta in comparison to HIV-seronegative (HIV -) controls, In 32 individuals who became infected with HIV during the course of this study, RANTES levels were significantly higher in plas ma samples collected at the time antibodies to HIV were first detected than in pre-seroconversion plasma samples. Both RP and NP showed sign ificant temporal increases in plasma RANTES concentrations. No signifi cant associations were observed, however, between plasma levels of the se chemotactic cytokines and progression or known predictors of progre ssion to AIDS including viral burden, levels of beta(2)-microglobulin or neopterin, and levels of activated CD8(+) lymphocytes. These findin gs are consistent with the results of a number of recent reports which suggest that these chemokines do not play a major systemic role in th e long-term control of viremia or protection against the progression o f HIV disease. It remains possible that chemotactic cytokines may cont ribute locally to control HIV in lymph nodes or other organs but it is also possible that they may be mediators of potentially harmful infla mmatory responses. (C) 1997 Academic Press.