Neopterin and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Neopterin concentrations increase in serum and urine within the first week of infection with HIV and remain increased throughout the infection. In particular, changes in neopterin concentration precede decreases in CD4 T cell numbers and the development of clinical disease, and they can be used to predict the later development of AIDS. The increased neopterin concentrations show that the immune system is activated in HIV infection and demonstrate the presence of an interaction between the virus and the immune system. The most important future use of neopterin measurements may be in fast evaluation of new drugs in HIV infection.