Increased peripheral proinflammatory cytokines in HIV-1-infected patients with prolonged viral suppression suffering from high psychological stress

Abstract

"In summary, patients who reported high levels of stress had significantly higher levels of peripheral proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-6. The levels in our patients who reported stress averaged more than 6 times the standard cut off of 2.5 pg/mL, which has been determined to be predictive of physical decline.12 TNF-α levels were also significantly higher in patients with stress. Despite the limited sample size in this pilot study, the findings suggest that psychological stress could be a cofactor in the comorbidity of HIV-infected patients. This hypothesis requires further investigation.