TH1 to TH2 Shift of Cytokines in Peripheral Blood of HIV-Infected Patients Is Detectable by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction but Not by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Under Nonstimulated Conditions

Abstract

Determination of steady-state mRNA ratios by semiquantitative RT-PCR represents a sensitive method to analyze cytokines in peripheral blood of HIV-infected patients under nonstimulated conditions. The data obtained with this technique provide further evidence for a T(H)1 to T(H)2 cytokine shift with progressive HIV disease.