Anti-Inflammatory Interleukin 10 Inversely Relates to Coronary Atherosclerosis in Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that may be protective against coronary atherosclerosis. In an observational study of persons with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) and uninfected controls, IL-10 was measured in serum samples by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using computed tomographic angiography. Among PWH, a 10-fold decrease in IL-10 was associated with a 2.6-fold increase in the odds of coronary plaque (P = .01), after controlling for traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors. IL-10 was also inversely associated with total coronary plaque (ρ = −0.19; P = .02) and noncalcified coronary plaque (ρ = −0.24; P = .004). Our findings suggest a role for IL-10 in mitigating atherosclerosis in PWH. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00455793