The changes and significance of the soluble B cell-activating factor in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic human immunodeficiency virus infection / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To elaborate the changes of the soluble B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) in the peripheral blood of chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients ,and to study the correlation between the soluble BAFF in HIV-infected patients and the progressions of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).Methods Fifty untreated HIV outpatients and 30 healthy controls were recruited .According to the counts of CD4+T lymphocytes ,HIV-infected patients were divided into three groups ,＜ 200 cells／μL group , (200 － 350 ) cells／μL group and ＞350 cells／μL group .B cell counts and the BAFF levels were compared among the three groups and the healthy controls .The correlation analysis was conducted for the levels of BAFF ,the counts of CD4+T lymphocytes and B cells ,and viral load in HIV-infected patients .The value of BAFF in staging of HIV disease was identified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results The B cell counts were (90.3 ± 43.1)cells／μL in ＜200 cells／μL group ,(114 .4 ± 28 .8) cells／μL in (200 －350) cells／μL group ,and (162 .1 ± 29 .5) cells／μL in ＞350 cells／μL group and (307.1 ± 97 .0) cells／μL in healthy controls ,which was significantly different among the four groups (F＝47.92 ,P＜0.05).The concentrations of BAFF in the four groups were (1 737.5 ± 719.7) ,(962.8 ± 341.1) ,(859.8 ± 270.4) ,and (456.9 ± 163.7) ng／L ,with significant difference among the groups (F＝36.72 ,P＜0.05).The level of BAFF was negatively correlated with both B cell counts and CD4+T lymphocyte counts (r＝ －0.722 and －0.568 ,respectively ;both P＜0.05) ,and positively correlated with viral load (r＝0.607 ,P＜0 .05).The area under the ROC curve was 0 .881.If the level of BAFF was 1 281.5 ng／L ,the sensitivity and specificity to predict the period of AIDS were 74 .1% and 87.0%,respectively .Conclusion The levels of soluble BAFF in HIV-infected patients are significantly increased and related with the reduction of B cell counts and disease progression.