Title: Lipoprotein 90K in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients: A Further Serologic Marker of Progression
Abstract: Infected Patients: A Further Serologic Marker of ProgressionColleagues-90K, a lipoprotein with a molecular mass of --90,000 Da that is recognized by the monoclonal antibody SP-2, is a tumor-associated antigen.It has been detected in tissues and sera from patients with breast cancer and other malignant neoplasms [1][2][3].We evaluated serum levels of90K during different clinical stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a cohort of patients followed 3 years at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases (Dniversita Cattolica S. Cuore, Rome).Serum samples were collected from 17 HIV-infected patients (13 men, 4 women; median age, 33 years).Risk factors included drug use ( 16) and bisexuality (I).Serum samples before seroconversion were available for 4 patients.Clinical staging of HIV infection was done following Centers for Disease Control criteria.The 90K serum level was determined by ELISA [2].An inter-and intraassay coefficient of variation of 5% has been reported.The cutoff limit for the normal range is 1.7 units/ ml [2][3][4].Tests for HIV antibodies and the HIV p24 antigen were done by commercial kits (Du Pont, Wilmington, DE); T cell subsets were determined by staining with monoclonal antibodies and by flow-cytometric procedures (Ortho Diagnostic Systems, Raritan, NJ).Results are expressed as mean ± SE.Statistical analyses were done by the Kruskal Wallis analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, stepwise multiple linear regression, and Pearson's R correlation test [5].Serum levels of 90K were elevated in HIV -infected patients.Levels were higher in those with group IV infections than in those with group II or III infections (4.11 ± 0.53 vs. 1.81 ± 0.34 units/rnl; P = .0023);no significant difference was detected between patients with HIV infection group IV C I and those with group IV A or IV C2 (4.26 ± 0.61 vs. 3.82 ± 0.85 units/ml; P = .36).A significant negative correlation was observed between 90K serum levels and CD4+ cell counts (R = -.431,P = .