Role of cytokines and chemokines in the non-progression of the HIV-1 infection in vertically infected children

BACKGROUND: TO study the cytokine production in vertically HIV-l-infected c hildren with more of 7 years of HIV infection and different pattern of prog ression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We study 32 HIV-1-infected children: 8 NA children (a ge > 7 years, asymptomatic or with light symptoms, without antiretroviral t reatment and TCD4+ > 25%); 10 NE1 children (> 6 years, symptomatic, with an tiretroviral treatment and TCD4+ > 25%); 14 NE2-3 children (> 6 years, symp tomatic, with antiretroviral treatment and TCD4+ < 25%) and 16 (C) controls , children non-VIH+. The peripheral mononuclear cells of HIV-infected child ren (PBLs) were cultivated and cytokine production was quantified in the su pernatant. RESULTS: The non-stimulated PBMC from HIV-infected children produced more T NF-alpha and less IL-2 that C-group. The production of IFN-gamma was lower in the groups NE1 and NE2-3 than in C-group. The production of IFN-gamma wa s higher in group NA than in NE2-3. In the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimul ated PBLs, the production of TNF-alpha was higher in NA and NE1 than in con trols. The production of IL-2 was similar in NA and NE1 than in controls. T he production of IL-2 was similar in NA and NE1 than in control group, but the groups NE2-3 produced less IL-2 than control and NE1 groups. The produc tion of IFN-gamma and RANTES were significantly higher in NA than in contro ls. The groups NE1 and NE2-3 produced lower levels of IL-5 than control and NA groups. The groups NE2-3 produced lower levels of IL 10 than control gr oup. The ratio IFN-gamma/lL-5 and IFN-gamma/IL-10 were higher in group NA t han in control and NE1, CONCLUSIONS: In non-progressors HIV-infected children the immune response i s conserved and we have observed an increased Th1 response, while in progre ssors HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral treatment we could obs erve a diminished Th2 response. Moreover, our data clearly indicate that th e decrease of IL-2 is an early marker of HIV-infection.