TH2 TYPE CYTOKINE PROFILE IN HIV INFECTED CHILDREN WITH RELATIVE GOOD HEALTH WHO HAVE IGE AGAINST HIV VIRUS PROTEINS.* 68

Abstract

Serum IgE was elevated (by age specific standards) in 28% (11/39) of HIV infected children. The ethnicity of the children reflected the clinic population, 28/39 were African American and 11/39 were Puerto Rican. The children with elevated serum IgE did not have a significantly different incidence of allergic symptoms than the children without serum IgE elevation, i.e., 36% (4/11) of the group with elevated IgE had a history of allergy (atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, or drug rash), while 29% (8/28) of the group with normal to low IgE gave a similar history. IgE against HIV proteins was detected by western blotting in 4/11 of the children with elevated serum IgE, whose ages ranged from 8-12 years. Two of these children had IgE against gp160, and all four had IgE against p24. None of these children with IgE against HIV had had documented opportunistic infections or failure to thrive. All four children were of the same ethnic origin (Puerto Rican), implying a genetic predisposition to the response. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells have been isolated and analyzed for mRNA of Th1 and Th2 type cytokines (PCR) in two of the children with IgE against HIV proteins. Both children had IL4 and IL10 mRNA in peripheral blood, i.e. Th2 type cytokine profile. Th2 cytokine profile and elevated IgE have been previously associated with progression of HIV disease. In these children described, IgE against HIV may be a late compensatory response, conferring an advantage even in the face of progressive HIV disease with [Illegible Text] cytokine profile.