Chemokine Levels and Chemokine Receptor Expression in the Blood and the Cerebrospinal Fluid of HIV-Infected Patients With Cryptococcal Meningitis and Cryptococcosis-Associated Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome

Human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with treated cryptococcal meningitis who start combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are at risk of further neurological deterioration, in part caused by paradoxical cryptococcosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (C-IRIS). We hypothesized that C-IRIS is associated with alterations of chemokine receptor expression on T cells and chemokine concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that enhance recruitment of T-helper 1 cells and/or myeloid cells to the central nervous system.