Human immunodeficiency virus-related anemia of chronic disease: relationship to hematologic, immune, and iron metabolism parameters, and lack of association with serum interferon-gamma levels.

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) is frequent in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its etiology is multifactorial. In a group of 111 patients with HIV, 19 were diagnosed with ACD. Parameters related to iron metabolism, such as serum iron (SI), serum ferritin (SF), and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) were correlated to levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and results compared to a group of 42 nonanemic patients with HIV. Measurements of erythropoietin (EPO), CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, and reticulocyte count (RTC) were determined to verify aspects related to severity of disease and bone marrow response. The results showed higher SF concentrations in ACD patients and normal or slightly increased sTfR measurements in both groups. There was no correlation between IFN-gamma and SF and between IFN-gamma and sTfR determinations. Lower CD4/CD8 values were obtained in ACD, and an inverse correlation was observed between IFN-gamma and CD4/CD8 in groups with and without anemia. RTC counts and EPO concentrations were similar in both groups: immature RTC were increased in patients with anemia, indicating an apparent attempt of marrow response to compensate the increased demand. Our data showed no correlation between IFN-gamma levels and iron disturbances in ACD, but results reinforced the observation of enhanced immunologic system deterioration in patients with HIV and ACD.