1. Interleukin 18 and human immunodeficiency virus type I infection in adolescents and adults.
- Author
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Song, W., Wilson, C. M., Allen, S., Wang, C., Li, Y., Kaslow, R. A., and Tang, J.
- Subjects
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CYTOKINES , *HIV infections , *PATIENTS , *SERUM , *TEENAGERS , *RESEARCH , *MEDICAL sciences - Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-18, a proinflammatory cytokine, has been recognized recently as an important factor in both treated and untreated patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Consistent with all earlier reports, our quantification of serum IL-18 concentrations in 88 HIV-1 seropositive, North American adolescents (14–18 years old) revealed a positive correlation with cell-free HIV-1 viral load at two separate visits (Spearman's r = 0·31 and 0·50, respectively, P < 0·01 for both), along with a negative correlation with CD4+ T cell counts ( r = –0·31 and −0·35, P < 0·01 for both). In additional analyses of 66 adults (21–58 years old) from Zambia, HIV-1 seroconversion was associated uniformly with elevated IL-18 production ( P < 0·0001). These epidemiological relationships were independent of other population-related characteristics, including age, gender and ethnicity. In neither study population could serum IL-18 concentrations be associated with the IL-18 gene ( IL18) promoter genotypes defined by five major single nucleotide polymorphisms. Collectively, these findings suggest that circulating IL-18 rather than the IL18 genotype may provide a useful biomarker for HIV-1-related events or outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
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