Infection of cultured human adrenal cells by different strains of HIV

International NeuroAIDS: prospects of HIV-1 associated neurological complications

Neurological complications associated with HIV-1/AIDS are being recognized with a high frequency that parallels the increased number of AIDS cases. The early infiltration by HIV-1 into the nervous system can cause primary and/or secondary neurological complications. The most common neurocognitive disorder is AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC). In developing countries of Asia the three most opportunistic infections are tuberculosis (TB), cryptococcosis, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Therefore, it is expected that secondary neurological complications due to TB and cryptococcosis will be the most common cause of morbility and mortality in HIV-1/AIDS cases in China. Research of NeuroAIDS in China is necessary to understand the impact and the biology of HIV-1 in the nervous system. Future studies would include, the molecular epidemiology and the description of opportunistic infections associated to HIV-1; the neuropathological description of primary and secondary HIV-1 complications in different groups; the HIV-1 neurotropism and immune response studies for China's unique HIV-1 strains and recombinant forms derived from the nervous system, including experimental models such as the use of transgenic rats; and the study of potential resistant virus, primarily when the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has not full access in the brain.

Endocrine aspects of cancer gene therapy

The field of cancer gene therapy is in continuous expansion, and technology is quickly moving ahead as far as gene targeting and regulation of gene expression are concerned. This review focuses on the endocrine aspects of gene therapy, including the possibility to exploit hormone and hormone receptor functions for regulating therapeutic gene expression, the use of endocrine-specific genes as new therapeutic tools, the effects of viral vector delivery and transgene expression on the endocrine system, and the endocrine response to viral vector delivery. Present ethical concerns of gene therapy and the risk of germ cell transduction are also discussed, along with potential lines of innovation to improve cell and gene targeting.

Characterization of an HIV type 1 strain with preferential replication in adherent cells

HIV-E, emerging from persistently infected HeLa-T4 cells, replicates better in fibroblasts and epithelial cells with respect to the parental, T cell-derived HIV-T. The two viruses share the same env V3 loop, but differ in cellular molecules incorporated on the envelope. Even when similar amounts of virus attachment occurred, HIV-E replicated better than HIV-T in cells from solid tissues, and the response to exogenous Tat was more efficient. This might be related to the long terminal repeat (LTR), because HIV-E has a TAR duplication, and a mutation in the Sp1-II binding site. Epithelial cells deserve further study, because they may be important in vivo for variant selection and latency.

T-tropic sequence of the V3 loop is critical for HIV-1 infection of CXCR4-positive colonic HT-29 epithelial cells

Some colonic and neuronal cells which are CD4- but galactosyl ceramide-positive are susceptible to infection with HIV-1. We have previously shown that the T-cell tropic V3 loop of HIV-1 gp120 serves as a primary viral determinant for infectivity of CD4- neuronal cells. However, the nature of the V3 loop of HIV-1 needed for infection and the V3 loop's interaction with coreceptors on colonic epithelial cells have not been fully analyzed. By using HIV-1 molecular clones, we show that the T-cell tropic V3 domain is critical for HIV-1 infection of colonic HT-29 epithelial cells. Because T-cell tropic HIV-1 can use CXCR4 as a coreceptor in T cells, we set out to determine the role of CXCR4 during infection of HT-29 cells. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunostaining, we show that these epithelial cells of colonic origin express the chemokine receptor CXCR4. Importantly, antibody against CXCR4 or a neutralizing antibody against HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop blocks T-cell tropic HIV-1 entry into HT-29 cells. These data indicate that the V3 loop of HIV-1 and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 are both critical for HIV-1 infection of colonic HT-29 epithelial cells. An HIV-1 T-tropic virus may be responsible for the infection of human colonic epithelial cells in vivo.

Spectrum of Adrenal Dysfunction in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Evaluation of Adrenal and Pituitary Reserve with ACTH and Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Testing

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported to develop abnormalities of the endocrine system and in particular of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. To define the abnormalities of HPA function in AIDS patients better, we performed ACTH and ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) testing in a group of AIDS patients and oCRH testing in a group of healthy subjects. Our study found that in AIDS patients with normal ACTH testing, oCRH testing revealed a variety of subclinical abnormalities of ACTH and cortisol responses. Although we did not find frank adrenal insufficiency in any of these AIDS patients, it remains to be determined if any of the subclinical abnormalities we identified are predictive of clinically significant adrenal insufficiency; it may be that as AIDS patients live longer, the subclinical abnormalities will progress to adrenal insufficiency. (Trends Endocrinol Metab 1997;8:173-180). (c) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc.

Endocrine implications of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Endocrine abnormalities occur frequently in HIV-infected patients. Although the majority of endocrine disorders reflect chronic infection, stress, and malnutrition, some disorders are characteristic of HIV infection or AIDS and deserve particular clinical attention. Identification of HIV patients at risk of frank endocrine disorders, rapid and correct diagnosis, and appropriate management are essential steps to minimize morbidity and mortality. Finally, increasing evidence from in vitro studies suggests that various hormones may influence HIV replication as well as the course of HIV disease and associated disorders. Future studies on the molecular mechanisms of hormones on HIV action and clinical studies on the effects of hormones as adjunctives to established forms of therapy may stimulate development of novel therapeutic strategies that will benefit HIV-infected patients.

Infectious virus with reduced cytopathogenicity resulting from persistent infection of normal lung fibroblasts by HIV type 1 strains

We asked whether HIV-1 had the capacity to establish a persistent infection of cultured human diploid fibroblasts. Human strains of normal diploid embryo lung fibroblasts were infected with HIV-1 of the HTLV-IIIB and HIV-1P1 strains. Infection was followed over time, to analyze HIV expression. Virus production (intra- and extracellular virus) was evaluated as follows: ability to form syncytia in the C8166 T cell line, production of p24 and other viral antigens (ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence), search for a gag sequence in cell DNA by the polymerase chain reaction followed by hybridization to an HIV-1-specific probe (SK19). Cell-free culture supernatant was used as a virus source to infect de novo fibroblasts and C8166 T cells. Infection of cultured fibroblasts with either the HTLV-IIIB or HIV-1P1 strain led regularly to the establishment of persistently infected cultures. Fibroblast cells were capable of continuous virus production for at least 10 months. The released virus was capable of reinfecting cultured fibroblasts and of producing cytopathic effects in the C8166 T cell line. However, when compared to wild-type strains, the infectious virus derived from fibroblasts showed a prolonged replication cycle and a decreased ability to form syncytia in the T cell line. Therefore, HIV-1 can establish a persistent and productive infection in normal lung fibroblasts. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that in vivo, at least in the lung, fibroblasts may represent a virus reservoir and that infection of these cells may lead to the production of attenuated variants of HIV.