Elevated concentrations of plasma alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone areassociated with reduced disease progression in HIV-infected patients

To determine whether concentrations of the anti-inflammatory peptide melano cyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) are associated with accelerated or red uced disease progression in patients with HIV infection, plasma concentrati ons of alpha-MSH and two other anticytokine molecules, interleukin-l recept or antagonist (IL-1 ra) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (s TNF r ), were taken repeatedly from HIV-positive patients over a 1-year period. S amples from 87 patients were collected by using special precautions to ensu re accurate measurement of the peptide, alpha-MSH concentrations were deter mined by radioimmunoassay; IL-l ra and s TNF r concentrations were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, Clinical and immunologic vari ables were recorded to determine whether there is an association between cy tokine antagonist concentrations and disease progression, Elevated concentr ations of circulating alpha-MSH were associated with reduced progression of the disease, Circulating alpha-MSH was greater in nonprogressors than in p rogressors; the association between elevated alpha-MSH and reduced disease progression was even more pronounced in patients with baseline CD4(+) T cel l counts less than 200/mu L. No such association was observed for the other two anticytokine molecules, and there was no significant correlation betwe en the plasma concentration of either cytokine antagonist and alpha-MSH. Th e present evidence and previous findings indicate that elevated concentrati ons of alpha-MSH are associated with reduced disease progression in HIV-inf ected patients.