IS CD30 (KI-1) IMMUNOSTAINING IN CUTANEOUS ERUPTIONS USEFUL AS A MARKER OF TH1 TO TH2 CYTOKINE SWITCHING AND OR AS A MARKER OF ADVANCED HIV-1 DISEASE/

CD30 is a member of the tumour necrosis factor/nerve growth factor rec eptor superfamily, which is expressed on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell clones w hich produce T helper (Th) 2-type cytokines. It has been proposed that disease progression in HIV-1 is associated with Th1 to Th2 cytokine s witching. In 70 cutaneous biopsies from HIV-1 positive patients in dif ferent stages of disease, we performed a battery of immunohistochemica l stains. These included antibodies to CD3, UCHL-1, OPD-4, L-26, KP-1 and CD30 (Ki-1). In addition, we used a similar battery of stains on c utaneous biopsies of HIV-1 negative patients with inflammatory dermato ses which are established as Th1 or Th2 dominant, e.g. polar leprosy. CD30+ cells were rarely present in early stages of HIV-1 disease, but commonly present in later stages of disease. However, there were cases of late HIV-1 disease which did not contain CD30+ cells. increased nu mbers of CD30+ cells were more commonly seen in later stages of HIV-1 disease. However, the expression of CD30 appeared to be better in pred icting other established Th2 cutaneous infiltrates in HIV-1 negative p atients than in predicting a Th2 cutaneous cytokine pattern in advance d HIV-1 disease.