Relationship and prognostic value of endogenous interferon-alpha, beta 2-microglobulin, and neopterin serum levels in patients with Kaposi sarcoma and AIDS.

We investigated whether elevated serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin were related to the abnormal in vivo production of interferon described in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and whether these factors might add to measurements of CD4+ T cells in predicting survival and tumor regression in patients with Kaposi sarcoma associated with AIDS. beta 2-Microglobulin and neopterin levels were strongly correlated (r = 0.82), and were each significantly higher in patients with detectable serum interferon-alpha activity. Inverse correlations were observed between prognosis and levels of these serum products. Prediction by CD4+ T-cell count of tumor regression after treatment with interferon-alpha and zidovudine was improved by each of two factors: (a) the presence or absence of endogenous interferon-alpha activity, and (b) a combined variable reflecting relative levels of the interferon-inducible products, beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin. The level of beta 2-microglobulin was the single best predictor of survival. When beta 2-microglobulin was not considered, the endogenous interferon-alpha variable was the best predictor of survival, and the prediction was enhanced by addition of the combined variable, or the neopterin value alone. We conclude that serologic markers, which directly or indirectly reflect activation of the endogenous interferon system, may be valuable adjuncts to CD4+ T-cell counts in assessing prognosis and selecting and evaluating treatments for patients with Kaposi sarcoma and AIDS.