Serum thymosin-alpha 1: lack of association between elevated levels and HIV infection. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Serum thymosin-alpha 1: lack of association between elevated levels and HIV infection.

Clin Exp Immunol. 1987 Nov;70(2):263-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/88110053
Chen SJ; Ko HS; Clinical Immunology Unit, University Hospital, London, Ontario,; Canada.

Abstract: Serum thymosin-alpha 1 levels as detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA) have been reported to be elevated in AIDS. We studied 143 individuals in two risk groups for AIDS (male homosexuals and haemophiliacs) for serum thymosin-alpha 1 and antibodies to HIV. RIA for thymosin-alpha 1 was performed in Dr A. Goldstein's laboratory at George Washington University, Washington DC. We found that similar proportions of seropositive and seronegative subjects within each risk group showed elevated thymosin-alpha 1 levels. Retesting after 6 months did not reveal significant increments over previous levels in seropositive subjects or in those developing HIV antibodies in the repeat samples. Thus, although elevated thymosin-alpha 1 levels might be a possible serum marker for AIDS, their association with HIV infection was not demonstrated. In addition, the male homosexuals we studied showed significantly lower thymosin-alpha 1 levels than haemophiliacs but this difference remains to be explained.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*BLOOD/IMMUNOLOGY Adult Antibodies, Viral/ANALYSIS Hemophilia/BLOOD Homosexuality Human HIV/IMMUNOLOGY Male Middle Age Risk Factors Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Thymosin/*ANALOGS & DERIVATIVES/BLOOD JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDblood/immunologyadultantibodies,viral/analysishemophilia/bloodhomosexualityhumanhiv/immunologymalemiddleageriskfactorssupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tthymosin/KWDanalogs&derivatives/bloodjournalarticle
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