To elaborate the changes of the soluble B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) in the peripheral blood of chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, and to study the correlation between the soluble BAFF in HIV-infected patients and the progressions of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Fifty untreated HIV outpatients and 30 healthy controls were recruited. According to the counts of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, HIV-infected patients were divided into three groups, <200 cells/μL group, (200-350) cells/μL group and >350 cells/μL group. B cell counts and the BAFF levels were compared among the three groups and the healthy controls. The correlation analysis was conducted for the levels of BAFF, the counts of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and B cells, and viral load in HIV-infected patients. The value of BAFF in staging of HIV disease was identified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

The B cell counts were (90.3±43.1) cells/μL in <200 cells/μL group, (114.4±28.8) cells/μL in (200-350) cells/μL group, and (162.1±29.5) cells/μL in >350 cells/μL group and (307.1±97.0) cells/μL in healthy controls, which was significantly different among the four groups (F=47.92, P<0.05). The concentrations of BAFF in the four groups were (1 737.5±719.7), (962.8±341.1), (859.8±270.4), and (456.9±163.7) ng/L, with significant difference among the groups (F=36.72, P<0.05). The level of BAFF was negatively correlated with both B cell counts and CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts (r=-0.722 and -0.568, respectively; both P<0.05), and positively correlated with viral load (r=0.607, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve was 0.881. If the level of BAFF was 1 281.5 ng/L, the sensitivity and specificity to predict the period of AIDS were 74.1% and 87.0%, respectively.

The levels of soluble BAFF in HIV-infected patients are significantly increased and related with the reduction of B cell counts and disease progression.

HIV-1; B-lymphocytes; BAFF