[Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) as discriminating serum markers of progression to AIDS].

BACKGROUND

To establish the discriminatory value of ADA and beta 2M serum levels as markers of AIDS progression.

METHODS

We have followed quarterly during two years a cohort of 24 patients with HIV infection; 103 clinical and laboratory evaluations were done (CDC/93 classification). In each of those blood samples we determined ADA, beta 2M, IgG, IgA, IgM, and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes.

RESULTS

26 evaluations belong to cases that kept stable in the clinic category A or B, CDC/93, ("stables": ADA = 19.05 +/- 10.79 U/L; beta 2M = 2.95 +/- 1.1 mg/L); the remaining 77 evaluations are from patients who clinical progressed to AIDS ("progressors": ADA = 32.03 +/- 13.2 U/L; beta 2M = 4.74 +/- 1.94 mg/L). When we compared statistically (RSIGMA software) the ADA and beta 2M means of both groups (Student t) and the means of all the variables in a block (multivariate analysis: Hotelling T2), very significant differences were appreciated (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

ADA and beta 2M are significantly increased in serum of HIV infected patients who clinical progress to AIDS. ADA and beta 2M can be used as serum markers of AIDS progression with a mistaken classification probability in the discriminatory analysis of 0.25; this probability decreases to 0.06 when immunoglobulins and lymphocytes subpopulations are evaluated too.