The acute-phase protein response to human immunodeficiency virus infectionin human subjects

Although several studies have shown that asymptomatic human immunodeficienc y virus infection elicits an increase in whole body protein turnover, it is not known whether this increased protein turnover includes changes in the kinetics of acute-phase proteins (APPs). To answer this question, we measur ed 1)the plasma concentrations of four positive (C-reactive protein, alpha( 1)-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen) and four negative APPs [albumi n, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-apolipo-protein (apo) Al, transthyretin, and retinol-binding protein] and 2) the fractional (FSR) and absolute (ASRs ) synthesis rates of three positive and three negative APPs using a constan t intravenous infusion of [H-2(5)]phenylalanine in five subjects with sympt om-free acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and five noninfected cont rol subjects. Compared with the values of the controls, the plasma concentr ations, FSRs, and ASRs of most positive APPs were higher in the AIDS group. The negative APPs had faster FSRs in the AIDS group, there was no differen ce between the ASRs of the two groups, and only HDL-apoA1 had a lower plasm a concentration. These results suggest that symptom-free AIDS elicits an AP P response that is different from bacterial infections, as the higher conce ntrations and faster rates of synthesis of the positive APPs are not accomp anied by lower concentrations and slower rates of synthesis of most of the negative APPs.