Table 1.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients display elevated levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5) and immunoglobulin E (IgE)
| Controls | n | HIV patients | n | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years | 31 (21–59) | 26 | 39 (30–65)2 | 30 |
| Nadir CD4 T cells/µl | – | 18 (0–50) | 30 | |
| Current CD4 T cells/µl | – | 341 (84–1092) | 30 | |
| Time on ART in months | – | 44 (14–56) | 30 | |
| HIV RNA copies/ml | – | < 50 (< 50–253 000) | 30 | |
| IFN-γ (IU/ml)1 | 2·8 (0–11) | 7 | 2·7 (0–17) | 16 |
| IL-5 (pg/ml)1 | 27 (0–377) | 13 | 156 (0–576)3 | 16 |
| IFN-γ (spots/2 × 105 cells)1 | 230 (39–468) | 22 | 280 (66–624) | 27 |
| IL-5 (spots/2 × 105 cells)1 | 43 (1–166) | 22 | 93 (5–262) | 27 |
| IgE (kU/l) | (0–210)4 | 156 (9–5541) | 30 | |
| Eosinophils (× 109 cells/l) | (0·04–0·40)4 | 0·14 (0·02–0·39) | 28 |
Data are presented as median (range).
1
Cells were stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) overnight.
2
P = 0·001 relative to controls (Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test).
3
P = 0·02 relative to controls.
4
95% reference range defined in HIV-seronegative donors.
ART, antiretroviral therapy; IFN-γ, interferon-γ.