Role of Interferon-Gamma (Ifn-γ) in Immune Response Regulation in HIV-1 and HIV-1 + Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (Tb) Infected Patients

The aim of this research was to investigate the role of IFN-γ in interaction between IL-10, IL-18, IL-1b, CD4 cell counts and HIV-1 RNA viral load in the development of HIV-1 in patients co-infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). The study was conducted by Rīga East Clinical University Hospital with data from the HIV-1 register, in collaboration with the RSU Joint Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Immunogenetics. 200 HIV-1 infected patients and 184 HIV-1 with TB co-infection patients divided in four groups were included in the study. IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-18, IL-1b levels were measured in serum with commercially enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA Vector-Best Corporation, Novosibirsk, Russia). CD4 cell counts were measured by flow Partec IVD cytometry (USA). HIV-1 RNA quantification was performed using the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS Taqman HIV-1 Test (Germany). All groups were compared with each another. IFN-γ production was significantly lower, and IL-10 and CD4 cell counts were significantly higher, in HIV-1 patients without TB compared with the other groups. The group with HIV-1 and TB had significantly elevated IL-18 production. HIV patients with primary TB had significantly elevated IFN-γ production and HIV-1 RNA viral load and significantly lower IL-10 production.