Increase in plasma IL-10 levels and rapid loss of CD4+T cells among HIV-infected individuals in south India

Increased levels of immune activation among HIV patients from developing co untries are believed to accelerate and/or enhance the shift to a Th2 cytoki ne environment, which in turn may result in a more rapid progression to AID S. In support of this hypothesis, we present data from a cohort of 35 HIVindividuals in southern India. Among asymptomatic individuals in this cohor t, a dramatic increase in plasma interleukin (IL)-10 coincided with rapid d ecrease in CD4 counts and progression to AIDS. Serum IL-10 levels were sign ificantly higher after 6 months of follow up (P=0.01), while CD4 counts dec lined at a rate of 280 cells/ul per year, roughly 3 times the rate of decli ne reported for HIV+ asymptomatic subjects in developed countries. Changes in serum IL-10 levels and CD4 counts fell short of statistically significan t correlation (P=0.1). Among AIDS patients in this cohort, the mean period from diagnosis of AIDS to death was <5 months and is in agreement with an e arlier report of rapid progression in India.