ABNORMAL LEVELS OF CIRCULATING ADHESION MOLECULES IN HIV-1 INFECTION WITH CHARACTERISTIC ALTERATIONS IN OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS

Adhesion molecules enabling leukocytes to communicate and adhere are e ssential for immunological and inflammatory responses. Circulating for ms of these adhesion molecules are detected, although their influence on immunological functions is unknown. We have measured soluble levels of E-selectin, vascular adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1), and intercellu lar adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in sera from 65 HIV-1-seropositive pa tients and controls. We found significantly higher levels of soluble V CAM-1 (sVCAM-1) and ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in both symptomatic and asymptoma tic HIV-1-infected patients than in controls (P < 0.01). Both sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 correlated to serum levels of neopterin (r = 0.40, P < 0.0 01; r = 0.46, P < 0.001, respectively) and TNF alpha (r = 0.44, P < 0. 01; r = 0.49, P < 0.001, respectively), while only sVCAM-1 correlated strongly to CD4(+) lymphocyte count (r = -0.46, P < 0.001). Patients i nfected with Mycobacterium avium intracellular complex had significant ly higher levels of sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 than other AIDS patients (P < 0.05), while patients with cytomegalovirus disease had significantly l ower levels both of sE-selectin and sICAM-1 (P < 0.05) than other AIDS patients. In conclusion, we found abnormal levels of circulating adhe sion molecules in both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV-1 infection in cluding AIDS. The correlation to other parameters and clinical events may implicate involvement of circulating adhesion molecules in the imm unopathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.