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Interleukin-16 serum levels during the course of HIV-1 infection.

Objective. The CD8+ T cell derived cytokine interleukin-16 (IL-16) is chemotactic for CD4+ T cells and induces functional IL-2 receptors in CD4+ T cells. Since it has been shown that IL-16 can interfere with HIV-replication, it is important to investigate any reciprocal relationship between the progression stages of HIV-infection and corresponding IL-16 concentrations in the serum of these patients. Methods. 11 HIV-negative and 31 HIV-positive patients assigned to all CDC stages were selected randomly. From this study population, IL-16 serum concentrations and viral loads were determined. Statistical analyses of the correlation between IL-16 serum levels, viral load and CDC classification of the cohort were performed. Results. HIV-negative patients had significantly lower IL-16 serum levels than HIV positive patients. IL-16 levels rose with the onset of clinical symptoms. Within the group of HIV-positive patients, serum levels of IL-16 correlated to the CDC stage of the respective patients: During CDC stages A2 and B1 the concentration of IL-16 increased with a peak at stage B2, and decreased during stages B3, C2 and C3. In addition, IL-16 serum concentrations were significantly higher in HIV-positive non viremic patients than in viremic patients. Conclusions. IL-16 serum levels reflected for yet unknown reasons the immunological and clinical state of patients, and corresponded significantly to respective CDC stages. Evidence was found that IL-16 levels increase in response to the HIV-infection. IL-16 serum levels were significantly increased and dependent on the time of the first diagnosis in non viremic patients.