       Document 0703
 DOCN  M95A0703
 TI    Serum neopterin level predicts HIV-related mortality but not progression
       to AIDS or development of neurological disease in gay men and parenteral
       drug users.
 DT    9510
 AU    Sacktor N; Liu X; Popescu M; Marder K; Stern Y; Mayeux R; Gertrude H.
       Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of; Physicians and
       Surgeons, New York, USA.
 SO    Arch Neurol. 1995 Jul;52(7):676-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/95344334
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of elevated serum neopterin levels
       to predict independently mortality, progression to acquired
       immunodeficiency syndrome, and development of neurological disease.
       DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of gay and/or bisexual
       men and parenteral drug users. SETTING AND PATIENTS: Patients included
       human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and -positive gay and/or
       bisexual men and parenteral drug-using men and women who volunteered for
       an outpatient study of the natural history of HIV infection. RESULTS:
       Serum neopterin levels were significantly elevated in HIV-positive
       patients (mean, 18.0 nmol/L; SD, 19.2 nmol/L), compared with those in
       HIV-negative patients (mean, 7.5 nmol/L; SD, 5.5 nmol/L) (P < .001). No
       differences in the serum neopterin levels could be detected between gay
       men and parenteral drug users. In HIV-positive patients, women had a
       higher serum neopterin level than did men (P = .03). The elevated serum
       neopterin levels were associated with an advanced clinical stage of HIV
       infection. After adjusting for the CD4 lymphocyte count and other
       potential confounders, the serum neopterin level was a significant
       independent predictor of mortality. The elevated serum neopterin levels
       did not predict progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or
       development of clinically significant neurological disease. CONCLUSION:
       An elevated serum neopterin level predicts mortality, but it does not
       predict progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or development
       of neurological disease among HIV-infected individuals.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*BLOOD  Adult  Biopterin/*ANALOGS &
       DERIVATIVES/BLOOD  Female  Homosexuality, Male  Human  HIV
       Infections/BLOOD/*MORTALITY  Male  Middle Age  Nervous System
       Diseases/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY  Predictive Value of Tests  Prognosis  Risk
       Factors  *Substance Abuse, Intravenous  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
       Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

