Cytokines and anaemia in human immunodeficiency virus infection

R T Means1

  • 1Hematology/Oncology Division, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH, USA. rmeansjr@mail.one.net

The anaemia that is a common complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection bears many similarities to the anaemia of chronic disease. These similarities include an impaired erythropoietin (EPO) response to anaemia, reduced concentrations of marrow progenitors giving rise to erythroid colonies, abnormalities of reticuloendothelial iron metabolism, and correction of anaemia with recombinant human EPO. A model has been developed in which the pathophysiologic processes producing the anaemia of chronic disease may be attributed to actions of the cytokines that mediate the immune response, such as interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor and the interferons. These cytokines are also implicated in HIV-related anaemia. In this review, the applicability of this cytokine-mediated anaemia model to the anaemia of HIV infection is explored.

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