Background Aim of the study was to determine the IL-4, IL-10 and TNF-α profiles in plasma of north-eastern Ukrainian HIV-1 infected individuals with different CD4 T-cell levels.

Methods We used a immunoassay method to measure IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α in plasma of 118 HIV-1 infected people among whom there were 80 (67.8%) men and 38 (32.2%) women aged (32.61 ± 0.87) years. Patients were divided into groups depending on the levels of CD4 T lymphocytes. Group I included 52 people with T-helper cell counts ≥ 350 cells/µL, group II - 66 patients with T-helper cell counts ≤ 200 cells/µL. Comparison group consisted of 30 normal healthy individuals.

Results In the cytokine profile of HIV-1 infected people the increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α compared to controls (group I - (0.77 ± 0.08), group II - (2.34 ± 0.69), healthy controls - (0.51 ± 0.32) pg/mL, p < 0.05) and the anti-inflammatory IL-10 (group I - (3.99 ± 0.99), group II - (20.08 ± 0.44), healthy controls - (1.68 ± 0.32) pg/mL, p < 0.001) were demonstrated. No significant difference in IL-4 between surveyed troops and comparison group was found.

Patients with CD4 T lymphocyte levels ≤ 200 cells/µL showed significantly higher plasma concentration of TNF-α and IL-10 compared with the group I (p < 0.05). Among HIV-1 infected from group II mean serum concentrations of TNF-α higher than that of group I in 3 times (p < 0.05). A significant increase in the concentration of IL-10 detected in patients with severe immunodeficiency (IL-10 levels in group II was 5 times higher, p < 0.05), which may indirectly indicate a more active involvement of IL-10 during disease progression.

Conclusion HIV-1 infection was associated with an increase in levels of TNF-α and IL-10. Immune imbalance due to changes in concentrations of cytokines is more pronounced in HIV-infected individuals with severe immunosuppression with CD4 T lymphocyte counts ≤ 200 cells/µL.