Reduced Plasma Levels of sCD14 and I-FABP in HIV-infected Patients with Mesalazine-treated Ulcerative Colitis

Figures & data

Table 1 Patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Values are expressed as median and interquartile range or percentage

	HIV/UC	HIV	UC	All	P-values
No. of patients	7	9	10	26
Age (yrs)	51 (34.0–64.0)	46.0 (30.0–64.0)	40.0 (32.0–52.0)	43.0 (34.0 – 60.0)	0.424
Sex (male, %)	71.4	77.8	50.0	69.0	0.538
Smoking n (%)	1/7 (14.3)	3/9 (33.3)	1/10 (10.0)	5/26 (19.2)
BMI	24.8 (21.4–30.7)	25 (22.4–28.0)	24 (21.4–31.5)	24.4 (21.7–29.6)	0.993
Hemoglobin (g/dl)	13.7 (12.5–14.7)	14.1 (12.9–15.3)	14.0 (13.1–16.2)	13.9 (12.7–15.3)	0.483
WBC (cells/ml)	7390 (6160–8650)	6000 (5050 –8100)	5840 (4550–7105)	6180 (5170 –7600)	0.231
Lymphocytes (cells/ml)	2300 (2111–2750)	2270 (1625–2500)	1693 (1310–2024)	2127 (1595–2490)	0.083
IDB characteristics
Duration of UC (yrs)	4.0 (3.0 – 7.0)	–	6.5 (2.0–10.3)	5.0 (2.5–11.7)	0.883
Disease activity n (%)	1/7(14.3)	–	0/10 (0.0)	1/17 (5.9)
Disease location	Pan colon = 2	–	Pan colon = 5	Pan colon = 7
	Recto-sigma = 5		Recto-sigma = 5	Recto-sigma = 10
IBD pharmacotherapy	7/7 mesalazine	–	10/10 mesalazine		1.000
HIV characteristics
Time from HIV diagnosis	11.0 (8.0–12.0)	7 (4.5–2)	–	10 (5.3–11.7)	0.286
CDC classification (A/B/C)	4/3/0	7/2/0	–	11/5/0	0.377
Route of infection	7/7 sexual	9/9 sexual	–	16/16 sexual	1.000
CD4 cell count (/mm3)	672 (511–1025)	671 (513–785)	–	671 (520–804)	0.491
ART therapy	2 – TDF, FTC, EFV	9 – TDF, FTC, EFV	–
	2 – TDF, FTC, RAL
	1 – 3TC, ABC, EFV
	1 – TDF, FTC, ATV/r
	1 – TDF, FTC, DRV/r

Figure 1 (A) Plasma levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14) in patients with concomitant HIV infection and UC (group HIV/UC) with HIV infection (group HIV) and with UC (group UC). (B) Correlations between I-FABP and sCD14 plasma levels (r = 0.355, p = 0.076). Groups are indicated with different dot shapes: group HIV/UC (circles); group HIV (diamonds); group UC: (triangles).

Table 2 Markers of MT, inflammation, and immune activation in plasma of patients. Values are expressed as median and interquartile range

Variables	HIV/UC	HIV	UC	p-values
No. of patients	7	9	10
I-FABP (pg/ml)	547.6 (384.9–1352.7)	906.7 (667.5–1373.5)	245.8 (194.1–390.2)	0.001*
EndoCAb (GMU/ml)	85.6 (61.4–107.2)	100.4 (40.9–173.6)	75.8 (51.8–96.9)	0.852
sCD14 (ng/ml)	1469 (1348–1607)	2166 (1618–2523)	1663 (1598–1846)	0.007#
hsCRP (mg/ml)	1.34 (0.61–2.87)	0.57 (0.16–1.21)	0.53 (0.25–1.32)	0.258
IL-6 (pg/ml)	1.59 (1.06–6.24)	1.90 (0.62–3.87)	1.22 (0.36–1.40)	0.211
TNF-alpha (pg/ml)	bd^°	bd	bd	–
IL-21 (pg/ml)	230.6 (0.33–517.9)	370.0 (246.0–400.7)	139.7 (33.0–278.0)	0.125

Note: Results of pairwise comparison using the Dunn–Bonferroni post hoc approach were as follows:

* I-FABP: group HIV/UC vs. group HIV: p = 0.688; group HIV/UC vs. group UC: p = 0.075; group HIV vs. group UC: p = 0.001.

# sCD14; group HIV/UC vs group HIV: p = 0.005; group HIV/UC vs. group UC: p = 0.176; group HIV vs group UC: p = 0.473.

° Below detection limit (16.7 pg/ml).

Figure 2 Plasma levels of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in patients with concomitant HIV infection and UC (group HIV/UC); with HIV infection (group HIV); with UC (group UC).

Table 3 Median and interquartile range of T-cell immunophenotyping percentage in the three groups

	HIV/UC	HIV	UC	p-values
No. of patients	7	9	10
CD3+/HLA-DR+	6.4 (3.7–9.1)	7.5 (4.5–9.8)	5.0 (3.1–7.8)	0.604
CD3+/CD4+	54.3 (42.8–61.0)	52.3 (44.5–57.6)	67.5(60.7–80.1)	0.009*
CD3+/CD4+/CD38+	46.4 (32.3–58.8)	43.9 (36.6–60.0)	44.2 (31.5–57.9)	0.845
CD3+/CD4+/CD38+/HLADR	4.6 (2.3–6.7)	3.2 (2.6–7.4)	3.9 (2.6–6.7)	0.998
CD3+/CD8+	37.6 (35.0–51.2)	42.4 (34.2–48.7)	25.5 (10.0–29.5)	0.003#
CD3+/CD8+/CD38+	20.0 (10.6–32.9)	17.2 (7.5–26.9)	10.7 (6.5–33.7)	0.530
CD3+/CD8+/CD38+/HLADR	14.8 (10.9–15.8)	19.1 (6.4–33.2)	19.8 (11.8–34.0)	0.434

Note: Results of pairwise comparisons using the Dunn–Bonferroni post hoc approach were as follows:

* CD3+/CD4+: group HIV/UC vs. group HIV: p = 1.000; group HIV/UC vs. group UC: p = 0.047; group HIV vs. group UC: p = 0.015.

# CD3+/CD8+: group HIV/UC vs. group HIV p = 1.000; group HIV/UC vs. group UC: p = 0.030; group HIV vs group UC: p = 0.011.