Serum interferon inhibitor declines in patients with HIV-1 infection after a change in antiretroviral therapy.

An inhibitor of interferon antiviral activity, which is absent in healthy HIV-seronegative persons, was detected in the sera of all 29 HIV-seropositive study participants. The relationship of the level of interferon inhibitor to CD4 count and HIV-RNA copy number was statistically significant in distinct models. Levels of interferon inhibitor declined by an average of 41-60% in patients who underwent a change in anti-retroviral therapy. Interferon inhibitor levels appear to decline as CD4 cell count rises and HIV-RNA levels fall. This suggests that interferon inhibitor may have a significant role in the host immune response to HIV infection.