Continuing intrathecal immunoactivation despite two years of effective antiretroviral therapy against HIV-1 infection

• OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of antiretroviral combination treatment on intrathecal immunoactivation in HIV-1 infection. METHOD: Lumbar punctures were performed at baseline, and after 4 months, 1 and 2 years on 30 neurologically asymptomatic, treatment-naive HIV-1-infected patients started on antiretroviral treatment with three or more drugs. Levels of neopterin, beta2-microglobulin and HIV-1 RNA were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. RESULTS: All patients continued the study until the 4-month follow-up, although seven discontinued before the 1-year control, and an additional five discontinued before the control after 2 years. Neopterin, beta2-microglobulin and HIV-1 RNA decreased significantly both in CSF and blood, but although 100% of the patients decreased their CSF concentrations of beta2-microglobulin and HIV-1 RNA to normal levels, only 55% had normal CSF neopterin concentrations after 2 years treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to CSF viral load, antiretroviral combination therapy substantially decreases the intrathecal immunoactivation as reflected by CSF neopterin and beta2-microglobulin in neuroasymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients. However, almost half of the patients still have slightly increased CSF neopterin concentrations after 2 years of effective treatment, which might reflect an ongoing low-grade viral replication in brain tissue.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adult

Anti-HIV Agents/*therapeutic use

Drug Combinations

Female

HIV Infections/blood/cerebrospinal fluid/*drug therapy

Humans

Male

Middle Aged

Neopterin/blood/cerebrospinal fluid

RNA

Viral/blood/cerebrospinal fluid

Viral Load

beta 2-Microglobulin/blood/cerebrospinal fluid

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)