@article{3081766,
    title = "Levels of soluble CD40 ligand (CD154) in serum are increased in human
immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients and correlate with
CD4(+) T-cell counts",
    author = "Sipsas, NV and Sfikakis, PP and Kontos, A and Kordossis, T",
    journal = "Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology",
    year = "2002",
    volume = "9",
    number = "3",
    pages = "558-561",
    publisher = "AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY",
    doi = "10.1128/CDLI.9.3.558-561.2002",
    abstract = "CD40 ligand (CD40L or CD154) is a costimulatory molecule expressed
mainly on activated CD4(+) T cells. Concentrations of the soluble form
of CD40L (sCD40L) in serum were determined for a cohort of 77 human
immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients before and after
initiation of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) by a
quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Circulating sCD40L
levels were higher by twofold in untreated patients than in healthy
controls (means standard deviations [SD]:1.41 +/- 1.48 versus 0.69 +/-
0.59 ng/ml; P < 0.001). HIV-1-infected patients classified as CD4 T-cell
category I had significantly higher sCD40L levels than patients
classified as CD4 categories 2 and 3 (mean +/- SD: 2.08 +/- 1.46 ng/ml
versus 1.57 +/- 1.58 [category 2] and 0.94 +/- 1.25 ng/ml [category
3]; P = 0.046), while no correlation with clinical categories A, 13, and
C was found. Individual serum sCD40L levels correlated with CD4(+)
T-cell counts (P = 0.039) but not with viral load, gamma globulin
levels, or acute-inflammatory-response markers. After 8 to 12 months of
HAART, a further threefold increase of serum sCD40L levels, which
paralleled the increase of CD4(+) T-cell counts, was observed. These
novel findings suggest that sCD40L measurement in HIV-1-infected
patients could serve as a new surrogate marker useful in the assessment
of treatment efficacy, especially in settings where well-equipped
laboratories and funding required for CD4(+) T-cell count and viral load
measurements are not available."
}