The elevated systemic cytokine levels in HIV patients are not associated with an elevated pulmonary cytokine environment.

Authors

Rafael Fernandez-Botran, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KYFollow
Andrea Reyes-Vega, University of LouisvilleFollow
Yasmany García, University of Louisville
Chanakya Charan Tirumala, University of Louisville
Praneet Kumar Srisailam, University of Louisville
Anupama Raghuram, University of Louisville Division of Infectious Diseases and Center of Excellence for Research in Infectious DiseasesFollow
Paula Peyrani, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KYFollow
Stephen P. Furmanek, University of Louisville, Division of Infectious DiseasesFollow
Mahder A. Tella, University of Louisville, School of Medicine Infectious DiseasesFollow
Jeffrey D. Ritzenthaler, Thomas Jefferson University
Jesse Roman, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Julio A. Ramirez, University of LouisvilleFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2020

Department

Medicine

Abstract

Background

HIV-positive patients on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) are at higher risk of developing many non-AIDS related chronic diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), compared to HIV-negative individuals. While the mechanisms are not clear, a persistent pro-inflammatory state appears to be a key contributing factor. The aims of this study were to investigate whether HIV-positive patients without COPD present evidence of potentially predisposing abnormal pulmonary cytokine/chemokine environment and to explore the relationship between pulmonary and systemic cytokine levels.

Methods

This study included 39 HIV-seropositive and 34 HIV-seronegative subjects without COPD. All were subjected to outpatient bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) aspiration and blood sample collection. The levels of 21 cytokines and chemokines were measured in plasma and BALF using a bead-based multi-analyte assay.

Results

In plasma, HIV-infected patients showed significantly increased circulating levels of pro-inflammatory (TNFα) and Th1-associated cytokines (IL-12p70) as well as several chemokines (CXCL11 and CX3CL1). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the numbers of cells, the concentrations of protein and urea as well as cytokine levels in the BALFs of HIV-positive patients when compared to controls. Correlation analysis indicated a potential modulatory effect of the BMI in HIV-seropositive individuals.

Conclusions

While our results are consistent with the existence of a systemic pro-inflammatory state in HIV-infected patients, they did not detect significant differences in cytokine levels and other inflammatory markers in the lungs of HIV-positive individuals when compared to HIV-negative controls.

Original Publication Information

Cytokine

v. 126 (2020 Feb)

Article 154874

1043-4666

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd.

ThinkIR Citation

Fernandez-Botran, Rafael; Reyes-Vega, Andrea; García, Yasmany; Tirumala, Chanakya Charan; Srisailam, Praneet Kumar; Raghuram, Anupama; Peyrani, Paula; Furmanek, Stephen P.; Tella, Mahder A.; Ritzenthaler, Jeffrey D.; Roman, Jesse; and Ramirez, Julio A., "The elevated systemic cytokine levels in HIV patients are not associated with an elevated pulmonary cytokine environment." (2020). Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 959.
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty/959

DOI

doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2019.154874

ORCID

0000-0003-1633-6097