Interleukin-27 Expression and CD4+ T Cell Counts in Treatment-Naive Chinese HIV Infection

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major global health problem and causes a huge 
number of deaths each year. Interleukin-27 (IL-27), which is composed of Epstein Barr virus-induced gene 
3 (EBI3) protein and p28 protein, inhibits HIV replication in vitro. However, the status of IL27 and its 
relationship with CD4+ T cell counts in vivo in treatment -naïve HIV infected individuals has not yet 
investigated. We recruited 108 healthy and 120 HIV-infected but treatment-naive Chinese individuals to 
participate this study in the last two years. We determined the IL-27 titers in all the participants by using 
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and measured the CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-infected 
individuals by using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) assays. We showed that IL -27 titers were 
significantly elevated in HIV-infected individuals as compared to HIV negative healthy controls (612 ± 355 
pg/ml vs 413 ± 230 pg/ml; P < 0.001). We also showed a significant positive correlation between plasma 
IL-27 titers and CD4+ T cell counts (r = 0.206, P = 0.024) in HIV-infected individuals. These findings suggest 
that the elevated plasma IL -27 levels may play important role in slowing down the CD4+ T cell declining 
in HIV-infected individuals and the process of AIDS disease.