Author(s)

Alice Verghese^1*, Som Nath Singh², Debasish Chattopadhya³

¹Centre for AIDS and Related Diseases, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, India.
²Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India.
³Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, SGT University, Gurgaon, India.

Imbalance of essential trace elements viz. Zinc, Selenium, Iron, Copper and Magnesium has been reported to influence disease course in HIV-1, HBV and HCV infections by altering immune status. A study was taken up to examine plasma levels of Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) categories of cytokines and immune activation markers (TNF-α, TNFR I and TNFR II) in an asymptomatic group of HIV-1, HBV and HCV infected blood donors in relation to trace elements. Plasma levels of Zn, Se and Mg were depressed in all the three groups of blood donors (P < 0.001 for all). Levels of Cu and Fe were depressed in HIV-1 infection (P < 0.001 for both), but elevated in HBV and HCV infections (P < 0.015 and < 0.001 for Cu and < 0.001 for Fe in case of HBV and HCV infections respectively). IL-2 and IFN-γ were depressed in all the three groups of blood donors (P < 0.001). IL-4 and IL-10 levels were elevated in HBV and HCV infections (P < 0.001 for both). Immune activation markers were elevated in all the three groups of blood donors (P < 0.001 for all). HIV-1 infection showed positive correlations between Cu and IL-2, Zn and IFN-γ, and in HBV infection while positive correlations were found between Mg and TNFR I and TNFR II and Se with TNFR II. HCV infection showed a positive correlation between Se and IFN-γ (P < 0.001), Mg and IL-4 (P = 0.02), Fe and IL-10 (P < 0.01). The present study reveals possible relationship between trace element level alterations and alterations in cytokine and immune activation levels in HIV-1, HBV and HCV infection.

HIV-1, HBV, HCV, Trace Elements, Cytokines, Immune Activation

Verghese, A. , Singh, S. and Chattopadhya, D. (2017) Trace Element Levels, Cytokine Profile and Immune Activation Status in Plasma among Repeat Blood Donors with Asymptomatic HIV-1, HBV and HCV Infection. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 5, 75-94. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2017.59008.