Cytokine profile and clinical correlates in HIV-exposed infants with severe (hypoxic) pneumonia

Introduction. Severe pneumonia in infants who are HIV-infected is a common problem in many parts of the developing world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. What has been missing from previous studies of severe pneumonia in HIV-infected infants, however, is a description of the host inflammatory response and cytokine/chemokine profile that accompanies this disease.

Objective. To describe the cytokine profiles associated with severe hypoxic pneumonia in HIV-infected infants

Methods. In a cohort of HIV-infected children diagnosed clinically with severe hypoxic pneumonia, paired serum and sputum cytokines were tested. A control group of HIV-infected children with bronchiectasis contributed matching controls.

Results. A total of 100 infants (mean age 2.8 months) with a clinical diagnosis of severe hypoxic pneumonia were included in this study. IP-10 was markedly elevated in both sputum (mean 560.77pg/ml) and serum (mean 9091.14pg/ml), while IP-10 was elevated in serum (mean 39.55 pg/ml), with both these cytokines being significantly higher than in stable children with HIV-related bronchiectasis.

Conclusion. This study of HIV-infected infants with severe hypoxic pneumonia suggests that IL-10 and IP-10 are associated with more severe lung disease. However, further investigation of this association is required.