Levels of proinflammatory cytokines in plasma after pneumococcal immunization in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients

To ascertain if immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is as sociated with rises in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the plasm a of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients, the lev els of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-cr) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were m easured serially after immunization. IL-6 levels rose an average of 2.2- an d 2.1-fold 6 and 8 h after immunization, respectively, but TNF-or levels re mained unchanged, The levels of these cytokines were stable in unimmunized controls, Immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine induces inc reases in the levels of IL-6 in the plasma of persons with HIV 1 infection.