Plasma CXCL10 correlates with HAND in HIV-infected women
JOURNAL OF NEUROVIROLOGY
Authors: Burlacu, R.; Umlauf, A.; Marcotte, T. D.; Soontornniyomkij, B.; Diaconu, C. C.; Bulacu-Talnariu, A.; Temereanca, A.; Ruta, S. M.; Letendre, S.; Ene, L.; Achim, C. L.
Abstract
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is characterized by chronic immune activation. We aimed to identify biomarkers associated with HAND and to investigate their association with cognitive function and sex, in a homogenous cohort of HIV-infected (HIV+) young adults, parenterally infected during early childhood. One hundred forty-four HIV+ Romanian participants (51% women) without major confounders underwent standardized neurocognitive and medical evaluation in a cross-sectional study. IFN-gamma, IL-1 beta, IL-6, CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL10, and TNF-alpha were measured in plasma in all participants and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a subgroup of 56 study participants. Biomarkers were compared with neurocognitive outcomes, and the influence of sex and HIV disease biomarkers was assessed. In this cohort of young adults (median age of 24 years), the rate of neurocognitive impairment (NCI) was 36.1%. Median current CD4+ count was 479 cells/mm(3) and 36.8% had detectable plasma viral load. Women had better HIV-associated overall status. In plasma, controlling for sex, higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were associated with NCI (p < 0.05). Plasma CXCL10 showed a significant interaction with sex (p = 0.02); higher values were associated with NCI in women only (p = 0.02). Individuals with undetectable viral load had significantly lower plasma CXCL10 (p < 0.001) and CCL2 (p = 0.02) levels, and CSF CXCL10 (p = 0.01), IL-6 (p = 0.04), and TNF-alpha (p = 0.04) levels. NCI in young men and women living with HIV was associated with higher IL-6 and TNF-alpha in plasma, but not in the CSF. CXCL10 was identified as a biomarker of NCI specifically in women with chronic HIV infection.
CD14(+) monocytes are the main leucocytic sources of CXCL10 in response to Plasmodium falciparum
PARASITOLOGY
Authors: Ioannidis, Lisa J.; Eriksson, Emily; Hansen, Diana S.
Abstract
The CXCR3 chemokine CXCL10 or IFN-gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10) has been identified as an important biomarker of cerebral malaria (CM) mortality in children. Studies in mouse malaria infection models have shown that CXCL10 blockade alleviates brain intravascular inflammation and protects infected mice from CM. Despite the key role that CXCL10 plays in the development of CM, the leucocytic sources of CXCL10 in response to human malaria are not known. Here we investigated CXCL10 responses to Plasmodium falciparum in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We found that PBMCs from malaria-unexposed donors produce CXCL10 in response to P. falciparum and that this response is IFN-gamma-dependent. Moreover, CD14(+) monocytes were identified as the main leucocytic sources of CXCL10 in peripheral blood, suggesting an important role for innate immune responses in the activation of this pathway involved in the development of symptomatic malaria.