Highly-exposed HIV seronegative persons (HESN) had higher levels of inflammatory and immune activation-associated serum biomarkers

than lower risk HIV seroconverters (LRSC)O Martínez-Maza, R Detels, L Magpantay, J Phair, JH Bream, CR Rinaldo and LP Jacobson

Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)no conflict of interest

Hypothesis: HESN will display lower levels of immune/inflammatory molecules than LRSN

Inflammation and immune activation can enhance initial infection with HIV.

The objective of this study was to define serum levels of cytokines and biomarkers of inflammation in participants in the MACS who were at high risk for acquiring HIV infection but remained HIV seronegative (HESN), compared to those at lower risk who did (LRSC), or did not (LRSN), subsequently undergo HIV seroconversion.

Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and biomarkers were measured using multiplexed assays (Luminex, R&D Systems) in archival specimens from HESN, LRSC, and LRSN, collected during the period of highest exposure (mid 1980s), prior to seroconversion:

HESN displayed significantly higher serum levels of sTNFR2 than LRSCHESN had significantly higher levels of sCD14, sTNFR2, and IL8, and lower IFNγ, than LRSNThe magnitude of these differences was smallThis is consistent with the conclusion that the HESN men may display modestly elevated

levels of inflammation, compared to the LRSC and the LRSNThese findings do not support our initial working hypothesis that HESN have lower

inflammatory biomarker levels than LRSC