Abstract
sFas (CD95) / FasL are hallmarks of apoptosis involvement in pathogenesis of HIV. We assess changes in soluble Fas /FasL, CD4 % and HIV-1 viral load in patients prior to the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 6 months thereafter. A prospective longitudinal study on sixty consented HIV-1 positive adults. sFas and sFasL levels were measured by ELISA. CD4 cell counts and HIV-1 viralloads were measured using standard methods. Samples were analysed according to the manufacturers’ guidelines.There was a significant positive correlation between HIV-1 viral load and FasL at six months (M6) on treatment [r = +0.49, (0.03)]. There were no correlation between sFas/FasL and CD4 cell counts [ r = -33 (0.16), -31 (0.17) -23 (0.03) respectively]. The significant correlation between sFasL and HIV-1 viral load at six months of ART suggests that sFasL could be a signal biomarker for HIV-1 disease progression. We have shown in this study that high levels of sFasL depict high HIV-1 viral loads and advance state of the HIV disease. These biomarker should be investigated further in other settings.
Highlights
Monitoring treatment success of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is solely dependent on HIV viral load assays [1]
In our previous studies in resource limited settings in Cameroon we demonstrated that Fasligand (CD95L) were better alternatives, compared to the commonly used CD4 absolute or CD% for baseline and in monitoring disease progression in infants and adults on ART (23)
Our results show that the majority of patients at baseline, before ART, had HIV-1 viral loads above 3.5 log10 and FasL levels above 300 ng/dl
Summary
Monitoring treatment success of patients on ART is solely dependent on HIV viral load assays [1]. The CD4 absolute cell count and CD4 cell % are routinely used in Cameroon and many other Sub-Saharan African countries as a baseline prior to treatment. They are used for monitoring treatment outcomes due to limited HIV viral load testing facilities available. Immunological and virological responses are required for better evaluation of patient success, especially after 6 months of ART initiation. Fas-Ligand (FasL, CD95L) is a homotrimetric membranemolecule. It is a type II membrane protein belonging to the Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) and the Nerve Growth
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