Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in advanced HIV infection in the absence of AIDS-related secondary infections

The effect of HIV infection on the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was examined in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the absence of AIDS-related secondary infections. Serum TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha production in vitro were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 26 male homosexuals with CDC stage IV HIV infection without active AIDS-related secondary infections. In vitro TNF-alpha production was assayed from cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMs) or whole blood cultures under conditions for minimising endotoxin contamination. PBMs and whole blood were cultured with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results were compared with those for 13 HIV-seronegative age- and sex-matched controls. Serum TNF-alpha concentrations were 5 +/- 16 pg/ml in HIV-infected patients and 12 +/- 17 pg/ml in controls. TNF-alpha levels in unstimulated cultures of PBMs obtained from patients were 426 +/- 511 pg/ml and 456 +/- 428 pg/ml in control cultures. There was no difference between groups in the maximal responses of cultured PBMs to stimulation with LPS (2,229 +/- 1,593 pg/ml vs. 2,504 +/- 961 pg/ml). TNF-alpha levels from unstimulated and LPS-stimulated whole blood cultures were not significantly different after adjusting for the number of cultured monocytes (2,038 +/- 1,469 pg/ml vs. 1,511 +/- 488 pg/ml). In 10 patients (38%) the TNF-alpha levels from stimulated whole blood cultures were greater than the 95% confidence interval of the control group. TNF-alpha levels in patients were not significantly altered by antiretroviral therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)