Distinct serum cytokines in AIDS-related skin diseases

To determine whether common skin diseases associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were distinguishable based on the pattern of serum cytokine expression, we studied patients with psoriasis, pruritus, and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) for levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-4. Thirty-two HIV-positive (HIV⁺) patients including 8 with KS, 11 with psoriasis, and 13 with pruritus along with 16 HIV-negative subjects with psoriasis were studied. IFN-γ levels were highest in sera of HIV⁺ patients with psoriasis (p = 0.040). By contrast, TNF-α and IL-10 levels were highest in sera of HIV⁺ patients with pruritus (p = 0.012). Detectable levels of all cytokines in these patients were remarkably higher than for healthy adults. These results suggest that common skin diseases associated with HIV infection and AIDS can be distinguished by the production of unique cytokines.