Chemokines are present in the genital tract of HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative women: correlation with other immune mediators.

In this cross-sectional study, 53 cervicovaginal lavage samples (CVL) from 41 women were analyzed for the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8), regulated-on-activation normal T-expressed and secreted (RANTES) factor, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-8 was detected in 81% of CVL, whereas RANTES was detected in 32%, and MIP-1alpha in 15% of the CVL. The mean levels of IL-8, RANTES, and MIP-1alpha in positive samples were 396 pg/ml, 102 pg/ml, and 34 pg/ml, respectively. IL-8 levels correlated positively with IL-1beta and IgG in a subset of CVL samples. RANTES levels correlated positively with complement protein levels. Additionally, the levels of RANTES, but not MIP-1alpha, reached levels reported in previous studies of the effects of beta chemokines to inhibit HIV replication. These results suggest that measuring chemokines in CVL specimens can provide important information regarding immune responses in the genital tract.