Three markers of acute phase response - C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin - and two markers of immune activation - urinary neopterin, β2-microglobulin - were measured in 60 HIV-l infected individuals; β2microglobulin and ferritin increased mainly in the later stages WR 5 and WR 6 but identical in WR 1 - WR 4. The data indicate that chronic bacterial infections are unlikely to be the cause of immune activation in patients with HIV-l infection.