Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, soluble type II TNF receptor, and transforming growth factor beta levels in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected individuals with Mycobacterium avium complex disease

To characterize changes in serum cytokine levels in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infccted persons with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC ) bacteremia, the levels of IL-1 alpha (interleukin-1 alpha), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), soluble type II TNF receptor (sTNF -RII), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in serum were measure d in two cohorts of HIV-1-infected persons with MAC bacteremia, The first c ohort was part of a MAC prophylaxis study. Patients with bacteremia were ma tched with controls without bacteremia, Elevated IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, sT NF-RII, and TGF-beta levels were noted at baseline for all subjects, a resu lt consistent with advanced HIV-1 disease. IL-1 alpha was not detected. No differences in cytokine levels in serum were noted at baseline and at the t ime of bacteremia between patients with MAC and controls. In the second coh ort, subjects had serum samples collected at the time of MAC bacteremia and thereafter while on macrolide therapy. Serum samples at time of bacteremia were collected from HIV-1-infected persons at a time when neither highly a ctive antiretroviral therapy (HAART) nor MAC prophylaxis was used routinely . MAC treatment resulted in decreased levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in serum , which were evident for IL-6 by 1 to 6 weeks and for TNF-alpha by 8 to 16 weeks;. Thus, antibiotic treatment for MAC results in decreased levels of I L-6 and TNF-alpha in serum in HIV-1-infected persons who are not on HAART.