Cytokine levels in HIV infected and uninfected Indian women: Correlation with other STAs

Host immune status is an important determinant of disease progression. Infections in the genital tract may alter the immunity in the particular site and hence affect the production of local cytokines. We performed this study to determine whether HIV in association with cervical HPV and CT/GC infections influences the production of local cytokines. Cervical secretions from 100 women with or without HIV infection were collected for measuring IL-1β, -6, -10 and -12 concentrations by ELISA. Cervical HPV and CT/GC DNA were detected by HCII test. Significant elevations of IL-6 and IL-10 were observed in patients having HIV infection. Although cervical HPV infection increased the concentrations of both IL-6 and IL-1β but HPV induced abnormal cervical smear was associated only with increased IL-6 concentrations significantly. Double infection had marked relation with IL-6 and IL-10. CT/GC had no direct effect on any of these cytokines but in association with HIV and HPV, these bacterial pathogens elevated the concentrations of IL-6 significantly. Thus, our results suggest that the presence of HIV and other STAs in the genital tract can cause imbalance of local cytokine levels which in turn may facilitate other opportunistic infections.