High plasma level of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (sTNFRII) in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients.

Plasma concentrations of soluble receptors for tumor necrosis factor type II (sTNFRII) and CD4+ lymphocyte counts were determined in patients with HIV-1 infection grouped according to the 1993 classification of the CDC. Compared with healthy controls (mean +/- SD = 2.83 +/- 0.70 ng/ml; n = 20), higher values of sTNFRII were obtained in most of patients of all groups of HIV-1-infected patients. The levels of sTNFRII were 5.29 +/- 1.75 ng/ml (n = 23) for stage A1 patients, 5.27 +/- 2.25 ng/ml (n = 37) for stage A2 patients, 6.03 +/- 1.9 ng/ml (n = 14) for stage A3 patients, 7.41 +/- 3.25 ng/ml (n = 21) for stage B and stage C patients. Intra-individual variance in sTNFRII levels in eight clinically stable patients with HIV-1 infection was observed in the course of a short-time follow-up. The increase of sTNFRII plasma levels in five out of ten patients was shown at time lapses of 3 years. In contrast to previous reports no inverse correlation between sTNFRII and CD4+ lymphocyte counts was found in all stages of disease. The increased level of sTNFRII in circulating blood might reflect the activation of the TNF alpha system. These results support an activation of this system occurring early in the course of HIV infection.