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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
In Vitro Assay to Evaluate the Impact of Immunoregulatory Pathways on HIV-specific CD4 T Cell Effector Function
Published on: October 15, 2013
From inflammatory to reconstitution: a longitudinal exploratory study of cytokine dynamics in HIV/TB co-infected
Zengjie Qian1,2, Jianjian Li1, Cuixian Yang1
1Yunnan Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kunming, 650301, Yunnan, China.
Background:
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the most common opportunistic infection among people living with HIV (PLWH). Dysregulated cytokine responses during HIV/TB co-infection may contribute to immune dysfunction and disease progression. However, the longitudinal dynamics of cytokine profiles and their associations with clinical indicators during treatment remain incompletely understood.
Methods:
In this prospective exploratory longitudinal study, we enrolled 24 patients with HIV/TB co-infection, 24 patients with HIV monoinfection, and 24 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of seven cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, as well as routine clinical indicators, were measured at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, 30, 60, 90, and 180 after treatment initiation. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, and associations between cytokines and clinical indicators were assessed using exploratory Spearman's rank correlation analysis.
Results:
At baseline, patients with HIV/TB co-infection showed evidence of immune and inflammatory alterations, with higher NEUT, NEUT%, and AST levels and lower LYM, LYM%, and ALB levels than both comparison groups (FDR-adjusted P < 0.05). During follow-up, IL-6 and IL-2 peaked on days 7 and 60, respectively, whereas IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17 peaked on day 21 and subsequently declined. IL-4 and IL-10 peaked on days 60 and 21, respectively, and decreased to levels comparable to those in healthy controls by days 180 and 90, respectively. Exploratory correlation analyses showed time-dependent changes in the associations between cytokines and clinical indicators. The correlations of TNF-α with NEUT and IFN-γ with CD4⁺ T cells and LYM shifted from negative to positive, whereas the correlation between IL-17 and CD8⁺ T cells shifted from positive to negative.
Conclusion:
Patients with HIV/TB co-infection showed stage-specific changes in cytokine profiles and clinical indicators during combined antiretroviral and anti-tuberculosis therapy. Cytokine levels and their associations with clinical indicators changed dynamically and gradually approached a relatively stable state over time. These findings suggest that immune and inflammatory status may evolve during treatment, although further studies are needed to validate these exploratory observations.
