Effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on lymphocyte apoptosis, lymphocyte viability, TNF-alpha and IL-8 in HIV-infected patients undergoing anti-retroviral treatment

Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases

Júlio César Vidal Verdi¹  Silvia Inês Alejandra Cordova de Pires Ferreira²  Mariette Van Der  Sander Silveira³  Ivete Yoshico Masokawa³  Magali Chaves Luis³  Marcellus Reis⁴  Aricio Treitinger⁴  Celso Spada⁴  Dulcinéia Saes Parra Abdalla⁵ 

[1] Health Office of Florianópolis;Hemocenter of Santa Catartina;Nereu Ramos Hospital;Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina;Universidade de São Paulo;

关键词: N-acetylcysteine;    apoptosis;    viability;    HIV;    glutathione;    TNF-alpha;    IL-8;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1413-86702004000500005

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) has been proposed as an additional therapeutic agent for AIDS patients because it reduces human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in stimulated CD4+ lymphocytes, and it ameliorates immunological reactivity. In a randomized, 180-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial performed with HIV-infected patients classified as A2 and A3 according to the criteria of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, we investigated the effects of oral administration of NAC on HIV-infected patients undergoing their first anti-retroviral therapy; viral load, CD4+ lymphocyte, lymphocyte viability and apoptosis, and TNF-alpha and IL-8 levels were determined. Sixteen patients who received anti-retroviral therapy plus a placebo formed the control group and the study group consisted of 14 patients who received anti-retroviral therapy and NAC supplementation. A significant decrease was seen in viral load, TNF-alpha and IL-8 levels, and lymphocyte apoptosis, and a significant increase was found in levels of CD4+ lymphocytes and lymphocyte viability in both groups after anti-retroviral treatment, but no measurable benefits of anti-retroviral therapy plus NAC oral supplementation (600 mg/day) were found in relation to anti-retroviral therapy alone, and the baseline levels of cysteine and glutathione in plasma were not recovered by this treatment. In conclusion, the daily doses of NAC necessary for the total recuperation of plasma cysteine and glutathione levels in HIV-infected patients and the additional benefits following the supplementation of NAC in patients submitted to anti-retroviral therapy, need to be studied further.

【 授权许可】

Unknown