[Behavior of soluble L-selectin in HIV infected children]

L-selectin is an adhesion molecule that is responsible for the initial attachment of leukocytes to endothelium. After leukocyte activation L-selectin is endoproteolytically released from the cell surface. In order to analyze the relationship between soluble L-selectin (sL-selectin) and parameters of immune activation and disease progression, 51 HIV infected children and 15 healthy controls were studied. Serum L-selectin concentrations were significantly higher in HIV infected children than in the control group. Levels of sL-selectin were higher in HIV infected patients with severe immunologic suppression than in those with moderate or no evidence of suppression. A positive correlation between sL-selectin levels and LTCD8 counts, sL-selectin and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and immunogobulin A (IgA) levels was detected. On the contrary sL-selectin concentration did not correlate with plasmatic viral load. The correlation with parameters of immune activation may implicate involvement of sL-selectin in the immunopathogenesis of HIV infection.