LOW-LEVELS OF SPECIFIC T-CELL ACTIVATION MARKER CD27 ACCOMPANIED BY ELEVATED LEVELS OF MARKERS FOR NONSPECIFIC IMMUNE ACTIVATION IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH AIDS DEMENTIA COMPLEX

Concentrations of soluble receptors for tumor necrosis factor (sTNFR-p 55 and sTNFR-p75) and soluble T cell antigens CD25 and CD27 (sCD25 and sCD27) were measured in paired serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample s of 15 patients with AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and 15 HIV-infected control subjects (11 with other central nervous system (CNS) infection s and four without CNS infection). In this study levels of sTNFR-p55, sTNFR-p75 and sCD25 were elevated in the CSF of ADC patients and of th e 11 patients with other CNS infections, whereas CSF-levels of the spe cific T cell marker sCD27 were lower in patients with ADC as compared to the control subjects with and without other CNS infections. This pa ttern suggests a relative failure of eliciting a T cell-mediated immun e response intrathecally in patients with ADC.