Immunological factors related to HIV-1 in colombian patients

Abstract

Introduction: Inflammasomes direct the maturation of the cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, which contribute to the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. Given its complexity, it is necessary to search for markers that can identify new therapeutic targets or monitor the immunological status of patients. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to explore the independent effect of the main inflammatory components on HIV-1 infection. Materials and Methods: Researchers conducted an analytical study with 36 HIV+ patients and 36 healthy controls, matched by age and sex. Viral load, CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes, lipid profile, C-reactive protein and serum concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 were quantified. RT-PCR in real time quantified the mRNA of the genes related to the inflammasomes. The statistical analysis based on summary measures, hypothesis tests, and multivariate binary logistic regression. Results: Lower values of HDL and mRNA IL-18 and higher mRNA NLRP1 and mRNA ASC presented in patients with HIV-1 compared with controls. The values of HDL and mRNA IL-18 correlated with lymphocyte counts. The multivariate analysis shows that the CD4 / CD8 ratio, the IL-18 mRNA and the ASC mRNA can be the main variables that have an explanatory potential on HIV-1 infection in the study population. Conclusion: The importance of studying inflammasomes was evidenced, given that in the study population they are potential therapeutic targets to reduce the inflammatory response.