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Freind MC, Tallón de Lara C, Kouyos RD, Wimmersberger D, Kuster H, Aceto L, Kovari H, Flepp M, Schibli A, Hampel B, Grube C, Braun DL, Günthard HF. Cohort Profile: The Zurich Primary HIV Infection Study. Microorganisms 2024; 12:302. [PMID: 38399706 PMCID: PMC10893142 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Zurich Primary HIV Infection (ZPHI) study is a longitudinal cohort study established in 2002, aiming to study the clinical, epidemiological, and biological characteristics of primary HIV infection. The ZPHI enrolls individuals with documented primary HIV-1 infection. At the baseline and thereafter, the socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory data are systematically collected, and regular blood sampling is performed for biobanking. By the end of December 2022, 486 people were enrolled, of which 353 were still undergoing active follow-up. Of the 486 participants, 86% had an acute infection, and 14% a recent HIV-1 infection. Men who have sex with men accounted for 74% of the study population. The median time from the estimated date of infection to diagnosis was 32 days. The median time from diagnosis to the initiation of antiretroviral therapy was 11 days, and this has consistently decreased over the last two decades. During the seroconversion phase, 447 (92%) patients reported having symptoms, of which only 73% of the patients were classified as having typical acute retroviral syndrome. The ZPHI study is a well-characterized cohort belonging to the most extensively studied primary HIV infection cohort. Its findings contribute to advancing our understanding of the early stages of HIV infection and pathogenesis, and it is paving the way to further improve HIV translational research and HIV medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt C. Freind
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
| | - Carmen Tallón de Lara
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
| | - Roger D. Kouyos
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Wimmersberger
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
| | - Hebert Kuster
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
| | - Leonardo Aceto
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Klinik im Park, 8027 Zurich, Switzerland; (L.A.); (H.K.); (M.F.)
| | - Helen Kovari
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Klinik im Park, 8027 Zurich, Switzerland; (L.A.); (H.K.); (M.F.)
| | - Markus Flepp
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Klinik im Park, 8027 Zurich, Switzerland; (L.A.); (H.K.); (M.F.)
| | - Adrian Schibli
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Epidemiology and Occupational Health, City Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | | | | | - Dominique L. Braun
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F. Günthard
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.C.F.); (C.T.d.L.); (R.D.K.); (D.W.); (H.K.); (D.L.B.)
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
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Pasternak AO, Berkhout B. The Splice of Life: Does RNA Processing Have a Role in HIV-1 Persistence? Viruses 2021; 13:v13091751. [PMID: 34578332 PMCID: PMC8471011 DOI: 10.3390/v13091751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses HIV-1 replication but does not eradicate the virus. Persistence of HIV-1 latent reservoirs in ART-treated individuals is considered the main obstacle to achieving an HIV-1 cure. However, these HIV-1 reservoirs are not transcriptionally silent, and viral transcripts can be detected in most ART-treated individuals. HIV-1 latency is regulated at the transcriptional and at multiple post-transcriptional levels. Here, we review recent insights into the possible contribution of viral RNA processing to the persistence of HIV-1 reservoirs, and discuss the clinical implications of persistence of viral RNA species in ART-treated individuals.
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Kumar A, Mahajan A, Salazar EA, Pruitt K, Guzman CA, Clauss MA, Almodovar S, Dhillon NK. Impact of human immunodeficiency virus on pulmonary vascular disease. Glob Cardiol Sci Pract 2021; 2021:e202112. [PMID: 34285903 PMCID: PMC8272407 DOI: 10.21542/gcsp.2021.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With the advent of anti-retroviral therapy, non-AIDS-related comorbidities have increased in people living with HIV. Among these comorbidities, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality. Although chronic HIV-1 infection is independently associated with the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, PH in people living with HIV may also be the outcome of various co-morbidities commonly observed in these individuals including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, left heart disease and co-infections. In addition, the association of these co-morbidities and other risk factors, such as illicit drug use, can exacerbate the development of pulmonary vascular disease. This review will focus on these complex interactions contributing to PH development and exacerbation in HIV patients. We also examine the interactions of HIV proteins, including Nef, Tat, and gp120 in the pulmonary vasculature and how these proteins alter the endothelial and smooth muscle function by transforming them into susceptible PH phenotype. The review also discusses the available infectious and non-infectious animal models to study HIV-associated PAH, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each model, along with their ability to mimic the clinical manifestations of HIV-PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Kumar
- Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Aatish Mahajan
- Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Ethan A Salazar
- Department of Immunology & Molecular Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin Pruitt
- Department of Immunology & Molecular Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Christian Arce Guzman
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Matthias A Clauss
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sharilyn Almodovar
- Department of Immunology & Molecular Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Navneet K Dhillon
- Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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4
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Clauss M, Chelvanambi S, Cook C, ElMergawy R, Dhillon N. Viral Bad News Sent by EVAIL. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061168. [PMID: 34207152 PMCID: PMC8234235 DOI: 10.3390/v13061168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the current knowledge on how viruses may utilize Extracellular Vesicle Assisted Inflammatory Load (EVAIL) to exert pathologic activities. Viruses are classically considered to exert their pathologic actions through acute or chronic infection followed by the host response. This host response causes the release of cytokines leading to vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and cardiovascular complications. However, viruses may employ an alternative pathway to soluble cytokine-induced pathologies-by initiating the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes. The best-understood example of this alternative pathway is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-elicited EVs and their propensity to harm vascular endothelial cells. Specifically, an HIV-encoded accessory protein called the "negative factor" (Nef) was demonstrated in EVs from the body fluids of HIV patients on successful combined antiretroviral therapy (ART); it was also demonstrated to be sufficient in inducing endothelial and cardiovascular dysfunction. This review will highlight HIV-Nef as an example of how HIV can produce EVs loaded with proinflammatory cargo to disseminate cardiovascular pathologies. It will further discuss whether EV production can explain SARS-CoV-2-mediated pulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Clauss
- IU School of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Correspondence: or
| | - Sarvesh Chelvanambi
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Christine Cook
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; (C.C.); (N.D.)
| | - Rabab ElMergawy
- IU School of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Navneet Dhillon
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; (C.C.); (N.D.)
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Katusiime MG, Van Zyl GU, Cotton MF, Kearney MF. HIV-1 Persistence in Children during Suppressive ART. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061134. [PMID: 34204740 PMCID: PMC8231535 DOI: 10.3390/v13061134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing number of perinatally HIV-1-infected children worldwide who must maintain life-long ART. In early life, HIV-1 infection is established in an immunologically inexperienced environment in which maternal ART and immune dynamics during pregnancy play a role in reservoir establishment. Children that initiated early antiretroviral therapy (ART) and maintained long-term suppression of viremia have smaller and less diverse HIV reservoirs than adults, although their proviral landscape during ART is reported to be similar to that of adults. The ability of these early infected cells to persist long-term through clonal expansion poses a major barrier to finding a cure. Furthermore, the effects of life-long HIV persistence and ART are yet to be understood, but growing evidence suggests that these individuals are at an increased risk for developing non-AIDS-related comorbidities, which underscores the need for an HIV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Grace Katusiime
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, CCR, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Gert U. Van Zyl
- Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service Tygerberg, Cape Town 8000, South Africa;
| | - Mark F. Cotton
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Children’s Hospital and Family Center for Research with Ubuntu, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Mary F. Kearney
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, CCR, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
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Thorball CW, Borghesi A, Bachmann N, Von Siebenthal C, Vongrad V, Turk T, Neumann K, Beerenwinkel N, Bogojeska J, Roth V, Kok YL, Parbhoo S, Wieser M, Böni J, Perreau M, Klimkait T, Yerly S, Battegay M, Rauch A, Schmid P, Bernasconi E, Cavassini M, Kouyos RD, Günthard HF, Metzner KJ, Fellay J. Host Genomics of the HIV-1 Reservoir Size and Its Decay Rate During Suppressive Antiretroviral Treatment. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2020; 85:517-524. [PMID: 33136754 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary hurdle for the eradication of HIV-1 is the establishment of a latent viral reservoir early after primary infection. Here, we investigated the potential influence of human genetic variation on the HIV-1 reservoir size and its decay rate during suppressive antiretroviral treatment. SETTING Genome-wide association study and exome sequencing study to look for host genetic determinants of HIV-1 reservoir measurements in patients enrolled in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, a nation-wide prospective observational study. METHODS We measured total HIV-1 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from study participants, as a proxy for the reservoir size at 3 time points over a median of 5.4 years, and searched for associations between human genetic variation and 2 phenotypic readouts: the reservoir size at the first time point and its decay rate over the study period. We assessed the contribution of common genetic variants using genome-wide genotyping data from 797 patients with European ancestry enrolled in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and searched for a potential impact of rare variants and exonic copy number variants using exome sequencing data generated in a subset of 194 study participants. RESULTS Genome-wide and exome-wide analyses did not reveal any significant association with the size of the HIV-1 reservoir or its decay rate on suppressive antiretroviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our results point to a limited influence of human genetics on the size of the HIV-1 reservoir and its long-term dynamics in successfully treated individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian W Thorball
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Borghesi
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nadine Bachmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Von Siebenthal
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Vongrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Teja Turk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Neumann
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niko Beerenwinkel
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Volker Roth
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yik Lim Kok
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonali Parbhoo
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Mario Wieser
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Böni
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthieu Perreau
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Klimkait
- Division Infection Diagnostics, Department Biomedicine-Petersplatz, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Yerly
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory of Virology, University Hospital Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Battegay
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andri Rauch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Schmid
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Enos Bernasconi
- Infectious Diseases Service, Regional Hospital of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Cavassini
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
| | - Roger D Kouyos
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin J Metzner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Fellay
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Precision Medicine Unit, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Hepatitis C Virus Influences HIV-1 Viral Splicing in Coinfected Patients. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9072091. [PMID: 32635221 PMCID: PMC7408928 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9072091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) influences HIV reservoir size. However, it is unknown whether this coinfection also induces a higher provirus transcription. Viral transcription is promoted by synergy between cellular factors such as NF-κB and the viral regulator Tat. The impact of HCV coinfection on HIV provirus transcription was analyzed in resting (r)CD4 T+ cells (CD3+CD4+CD25-CD69-HLADR-) and rCD4 T cells-depleted PBMCs (rCD4 T- PBMCs) from a multicenter cross-sectional study of 115 cART-treated HIV patients: 42 HIV+/HCV+ coinfected individuals (HIV+/HCV+), 34 HIV+ patients with HCV spontaneous clearance (HIV+/HCV−) and 39 HIV patients (HIV+). Viral transcription was assessed in total RNA through the quantification of unspliced, single spliced, and multiple spliced viral mRNAs by qPCR. Linear correlations between viral reservoir size and viral splicing were determined. A 3-fold increase of multiple spliced transcripts in rCD4 T+ cells of HIV+/HCV+ patients was found compared to HIV+ individuals (p < 0.05). As Tat is synthesized by multiple splicing, the levels of Tat were also quantified in these patients. Significant differences in single and multiple spliced transcripts were also observed in rCD4 T- PBMCs. Levels of multiple spliced mRNAs were increased in rCD4 T+ cells isolated from HIV+/HCV+ subjects, which could indicate a higher Tat activity in these cells despite their resting state.
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8
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Chelvanambi S, Gupta SK, Chen X, Ellis BW, Maier BF, Colbert TM, Kuriakose J, Zorlutuna P, Jolicoeur P, Obukhov AG, Clauss M. HIV-Nef Protein Transfer to Endothelial Cells Requires Rac1 Activation and Leads to Endothelial Dysfunction Implications for Statin Treatment in HIV Patients. Circ Res 2019; 125:805-820. [PMID: 31451038 PMCID: PMC7009312 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.119.315082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Even in antiretroviral therapy-treated patients, HIV continues to play a pathogenic role in cardiovascular diseases. A possible cofactor may be persistence of the early HIV response gene Nef, which we have demonstrated recently to persist in the lungs of HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy. Previously, we have reported that HIV strains with Nef, but not Nef-deleted HIV strains, cause endothelial proinflammatory activation and apoptosis. OBJECTIVE To characterize mechanisms through which HIV-Nef leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases using ex vivo tissue culture approaches as well as interventional experiments in transgenic murine models. METHODS AND RESULTS Extracellular vesicles derived from both peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma from HIV+ patient blood samples induced human coronary artery endothelial cells dysfunction. Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles from antiretroviral therapy+ patients who were HIV-Nef+ induced significantly greater endothelial apoptosis compared with HIV-Nef-plasma extracellular vesicles. Both HIV-Nef expressing T cells and HIV-Nef-induced extracellular vesicles increased transfer of cytosol and Nef protein to endothelial monolayers in a Rac1-dependent manner, consequently leading to endothelial adhesion protein upregulation and apoptosis. HIV-Nef induced Rac1 activation also led to dsDNA breaks in endothelial colony forming cells, thereby resulting in endothelial colony forming cell premature senescence and endothelial nitric oxide synthase downregulation. These Rac1-dependent activities were characterized by NOX2-mediated reactive oxygen species production. Statin treatment equally inhibited Rac1 inhibition in preventing or reversing all HIV-Nef-induction abnormalities assessed. This was likely because of the ability of statins to block Rac1 prenylation as geranylgeranyl transferase inhibitors were effective in inhibiting HIV-Nef-induced reactive oxygen species formation. Finally, transgenic expression of HIV-Nef in endothelial cells in a murine model impaired endothelium-mediated aortic ring dilation, which was then reversed by 3-week treatment with 5 mg/kg atorvastatin. CONCLUSIONS These studies establish a mechanism by which HIV-Nef persistence despite antiretroviral therapy could contribute to ongoing HIV-related vascular dysfunction, which may then be ameliorated by statin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xingjuan Chen
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | | | | | | | - Jithin Kuriakose
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Ulster University, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Paul Jolicoeur
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Matthias Clauss
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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9
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Yukl SA, Kaiser P, Kim P, Telwatte S, Joshi SK, Vu M, Lampiris H, Wong JK. HIV latency in isolated patient CD4 + T cells may be due to blocks in HIV transcriptional elongation, completion, and splicing. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/430/eaap9927. [PMID: 29491188 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aap9927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Latently infected CD4+ T cells are the main barrier to complete clearance of HIV infection, but it is unclear what mechanisms govern latent HIV infection in vivo. To address this question, we developed a new panel of reverse transcription droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-ddPCR) assays specific for different HIV transcripts that define distinct blocks to transcription. We applied this panel of assays to CD4+ T cells freshly isolated from HIV-infected patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) to quantify the degree to which different mechanisms inhibit HIV transcription. In addition, we measured the degree to which these transcriptional blocks could be reversed ex vivo by T cell activation (using anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies) or latency-reversing agents. We found that the main reversible block to HIV RNA transcription was not inhibition of transcriptional initiation but rather a series of blocks to proximal elongation, distal transcription/polyadenylation (completion), and multiple splicing. Cell dilution experiments suggested that these mechanisms operated in most of the HIV-infected CD4+ T cells examined. Latency-reversing agents exerted differential effects on the three blocks to HIV transcription, suggesting that these blocks may be governed by different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Yukl
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
| | - Philipp Kaiser
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Peggy Kim
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Sushama Telwatte
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Sunil K Joshi
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Mai Vu
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Harry Lampiris
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Joseph K Wong
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, 111W, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
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10
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Bacchetti P, Bosch RJ, Scully EP, Deng X, Busch MP, Deeks SG, Lewin SR. Statistical analysis of single-copy assays when some observations are zero. J Virus Erad 2019; 5:167-173. [PMID: 31700665 PMCID: PMC6816121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Observational and interventional studies for HIV cure research often use single-copy assays to quantify rare entities in blood or tissue samples. Statistical analysis of such measurements presents challenges due to tissue sampling variability and frequent findings of 0 copies in the sample analysed. We examined four approaches to analysing such studies, reflecting different ways of handling observations of 0 copies: (A) replace observations of 0 copies with 1 copy; (B) add 1 to all observed numbers of copies; (C) treat observations of 0 copies as left-censored at 1 copy; and (D) leave the data unaltered and apply a method for count data, negative binomial regression. Because research seeks to estimate general patterns rather than individuals' values, we argue that unaltered use of 0 copies is suitable for research purposes and that altering those observations can introduce bias. When applied to a simulated study comparing preintervention to postintervention measurements within 12 participants, methods A-C showed more attenuation than method D in the estimated intervention effect, less chance of finding P < 0.05 for the intervention effect and a lower chance of including the true intervention effect within the 95% confidence interval. Application of the methods to actual data from a study comparing multiply-spliced HIV RNA among men and women estimated smaller differences by methods A-C than by method D. We recommend that negative binomial regression, which is readily available in many statistical software packages, be considered for analysis of studies of rare entities that are measured by single-copy assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bacchetti
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
University of California,
San Francisco,
CA,
USA,Corresponding author: Peter Bacchetti,
5984 Stone Bridge Rd,
Santa Rosa,
CA95409,
USA
| | - Ronald J Bosch
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research,
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health,
Boston,
MA,
USA
| | - Eileen P Scully
- Division of Infectious Diseases,
Department of Medicine,
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore,
MD,
USA
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute,
San Francisco,
CA,
USA
| | - Michael P Busch
- Vitalant Research Institute,
San Francisco,
CA,
USA,Department of Laboratory Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco,
San Francisco,
CA,
USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- University of California San Francisco,
Department of Medicine,
San Francisco,
CA,
USA
| | - Sharon R Lewin
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity,
The University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital,
Melbourne,
Australia,Department of Infectious Diseases,
Monash University and Alfred Hospital,
Melbourne,
Australia
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11
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Bacchetti P, Bosch RJ, Scully EP, Deng X, Busch MP, Deeks SG, Lewin SR. Statistical analysis of single-copy assays when some observations are zero. J Virus Erad 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/s2055-6640(20)30047-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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12
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Baxter AE, O'Doherty U, Kaufmann DE. Beyond the replication-competent HIV reservoir: transcription and translation-competent reservoirs. Retrovirology 2018; 15:18. [PMID: 29394935 PMCID: PMC5797386 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0392-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen a substantial increase in the number of tools available to monitor and study HIV reservoirs. Here, we discuss recent technological advances that enable an understanding of reservoir dynamics beyond classical assays to measure the frequency of cells containing provirus able to propagate a spreading infection (replication-competent reservoir). Specifically, we focus on the characterization of cellular reservoirs containing proviruses able to transcribe viral mRNAs (so called transcription-competent) and translate viral proteins (translation-competent). We suggest that the study of these alternative reservoirs provides complementary information to classical approaches, crucially at a single-cell level. This enables an in-depth characterization of the cellular reservoir, both following reactivation from latency and, importantly, directly ex vivo at baseline. Furthermore, we propose that the study of cellular reservoirs that may not contain fully replication-competent virus, but are able to produce HIV mRNAs and proteins, is of biological importance. Lastly, we detail some of the key contributions that the study of these transcription and translation-competent reservoirs has made thus far to investigations into HIV persistence, and outline where these approaches may take the field next.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Baxter
- CR-CHUM, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Scripps CHAVI-ID, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Una O'Doherty
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Transfusion Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Daniel E Kaufmann
- CR-CHUM, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,Scripps CHAVI-ID, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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13
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Pasternak AO, Berkhout B. What do we measure when we measure cell-associated HIV RNA. Retrovirology 2018; 15:13. [PMID: 29378657 PMCID: PMC5789533 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0397-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-associated (CA) HIV RNA has received much attention in recent years as a surrogate measure of the efficiency of HIV latency reversion and because it may provide an estimate of the viral reservoir size. This review provides an update on some recent insights in the biology and clinical utility of this biomarker. We discuss a number of important considerations to be taken into account when interpreting CA HIV RNA measurements, as well as different methods to measure this biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Pasternak
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Parisi SG, Andreis S, Basso M, Cavinato S, Scaggiante R, Franzetti M, Andreoni M, Palù G, Cattelan AM. Time course of cellular HIV-DNA and low-level HIV viremia in HIV-HCV co-infected patients whose HCV infection had been successfully treated with directly acting antivirals. Med Microbiol Immunol 2017; 206:419-428. [PMID: 28864951 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-017-0518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This longitudinal study described cellular HIV-DNA changes and their correlation with HIV low-level plasma viremia (LLV) in HIV-HCV co-infected patients on successful antiretroviral and anti-HCV therapy by treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Thirty-nine patients were examined prior to the start of DAA (T0), after week 12 (T1) and 24 weeks (T2) of anti-HCV therapy. Cellular PBMC HIV-DNA was analysed as an absolute value and as the percentage of increase or decrease from T0 to T2. Patients were classified as having undetectable plasma HIV viraemia (UV) or LLV in the year before the start of anti-HCV treatment and within the T0-T2 study period. Thirty-five patients (89.7%) of the 39 subjects enrolled had the same plasma HIV viraemia control in the year before HCV treatment and in the T0-T2 interval. The HIV-DNA value at T0 and at T2 was higher in patients with LLV than in subjects with UV (p = 0.015 and p = 0.014, respectively). A similar proportion of patients with LLV and UV experienced an increase or decrease of HIV-DNA from T0 to T2. The percentage increase in HIV-DNA value (262.8%) from T0 to T2 was higher compared to the decrease (43.5%) in patients with UV (p = 0.012), and it was higher compared to the percentage increase in HIV-DNA value reported in subjects with LLV (262.8 versus 49%, p = 0.026). HIV-HCV co-infected patients experienced a multifaceted perturbation of cellular HIV-DNA levels within a 24-week period during anti-HCV treatment; the extent of the phenomenon was greater in subjects with UV. Fast HCV-RNA clearance seemed to have a greater influence on the cellular reservoir than on plasma HIV-RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saverio G Parisi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, 35100, Padua, Italy.
| | - Samantha Andreis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, 35100, Padua, Italy
| | - Monica Basso
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, 35100, Padua, Italy
| | - Silvia Cavinato
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Padova Hospital, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Renzo Scaggiante
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Padova Hospital, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Marzia Franzetti
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Padova Hospital, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Massimo Andreoni
- Clinical Infectious Diseases, Tor Vergata University, Viale Oxford, 81, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Palù
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, 35100, Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Cattelan
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Padova Hospital, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
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15
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A Novel Single-Cell FISH-Flow Assay Identifies Effector Memory CD4 + T cells as a Major Niche for HIV-1 Transcription in HIV-Infected Patients. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.00876-17. [PMID: 28698276 PMCID: PMC5513707 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00876-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells that actively transcribe HIV-1 have been defined as the “active viral reservoir” in HIV-infected individuals. However, important technical limitations have precluded the characterization of this specific viral reservoir during both treated and untreated HIV-1 infections. Here, we used a novel single-cell RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization-flow cytometry (FISH-flow) assay that requires only 15 million unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to characterize the specific cell subpopulations that transcribe HIV RNA in different subsets of CD4+ T cells. In samples from treated and untreated HIV-infected patients, effector memory CD4+ T cells were the main cell population supporting HIV RNA transcription. The number of cells expressing HIV correlated with the plasma viral load, intracellular HIV RNA, and proviral DNA quantified by conventional methods and inversely correlated with the CD4+ T cell count and the CD4/CD8 ratio. We also found that after ex vivo infection of unstimulated PBMCs, HIV-infected T cells upregulated the expression of CD32. In addition, this new methodology detected increased numbers of primary cells expressing viral transcripts and proteins after ex vivo viral reactivation with latency reversal agents. This RNA FISH-flow technique allows the identification of the specific cell subpopulations that support viral transcription in HIV-1-infected individuals and has the potential to provide important information on the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis, HIV persistence, and viral reactivation. Persons infected with HIV-1 contain several cellular viral reservoirs that preclude the complete eradication of the viral infection. Using a novel methodology, we identified effector memory CD4+ T cells, immune cells preferentially located in inflamed tissues with potent activity against pathogens, as the main cells encompassing the transcriptionally active HIV-1 reservoir in patients on antiretroviral therapy. Importantly, the identification of such cells provides us with an important target for new therapies designed to target the hidden virus and thus to eliminate the virus from the human body. In addition, because of its ability to identify cells forming part of the viral reservoir, the assay used in this study represents an important new tool in the field of HIV pathogenesis and viral persistence.
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16
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Wagner TA. Combining Cell and Gene Therapy in an Effort to Eradicate HIV. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2016; 30:534-538. [PMID: 27905840 DOI: 10.1089/apc.2016.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 30 million people are infected with HIV, and HIV remains the fifth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) dramatically decreases mortality rate, but there are side effects, long-term toxicities, expenses, stigmas, and inconveniences associated with chronic treatment, and HIV-infected individuals on ART have an increased risk of malignancies, cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, and shortened life expectancy. Therefore, a cure for HIV remains an important goal. Combining new cell and gene therapy technology is an exciting approach that appears promising in vitro. Animal testing and careful clinical trials will be needed to determine if these strategies are clinically useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thor A. Wagner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
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17
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Short Intracellular HIV-1 Transcripts as Biomarkers of Residual Immune Activation in Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy. J Virol 2016; 90:5665-5676. [PMID: 27030274 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03158-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED HIV-1 patients continue to remain at an abnormal immune status despite prolonged combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), which results in an increased risk of non-AIDS-related diseases. Given the growing recognition of the importance of understanding and controlling the residual virus in patients, additional virological markers to monitor infected cells are required. However, viral replication in circulating cells is much poorer than that in lymph nodes, which results in the absence of markers to distinguish these cells from uninfected cells in the blood. In this study, we identified prematurely terminated short HIV-1 transcripts (STs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as an efficient intracellular biomarker to monitor viral activation and immune status in patients with cART-mediated full viral suppression in plasma. STs were detected in PBMCs obtained from both treated and untreated patients. ST levels in untreated patients generally increased with disease progression and decreased after treatment initiation. However, some patients exhibited sustained high levels of ST and low CD4(+) cell counts despite full viral suppression by treatment. The levels of STs strongly reflected chronic immune activation defined by coexpression of HLA-DR and CD38 on CD8(+) T cells, rather than circulating proviral load. These observations represent evidence for a relationship between viral persistence and host immune activation, which in turn results in the suboptimal increase in CD4(+) cells despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy. This cell-based measurement of viral persistence contributes to an improved understanding of the dynamics of viral persistence in cART patients and will guide therapeutic approaches targeting viral reservoirs. IMPORTANCE Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) suppresses HIV-1 load to below the detectable limit in plasma. However, the virus persists, and patients remain at an abnormal immune status, which results in an increased risk of non-AIDS-related complications. To achieve a functional cure for HIV-1 infection, activities of viral reservoirs must be quantified and monitored. However, latently infected cells are difficult to be monitored. Here, we identified prematurely terminated short HIV-1 transcripts (STs) as an efficient biomarker for monitoring viral activation and immune status in patients with cART-mediated full viral suppression in plasma. This cell-based measurement of viral persistence will contribute to our understanding of the impact of residual virus on chronic immune activation in HIV-1 patients during cART.
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18
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Wang T, Yi R, Green LA, Chelvanambi S, Seimetz M, Clauss M. Increased cardiovascular disease risk in the HIV-positive population on ART: potential role of HIV-Nef and Tat. Cardiovasc Pathol 2015; 24:279-82. [PMID: 26233281 PMCID: PMC4831910 DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
With effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), many HIV-infected people die of diseases other than acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In particular, coronary artery disease has emerged as one of most critical complications of HIV infection and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although reportedly antiretroviral combination therapy itself may accelerate atherosclerosis by enhancing dyslipidemia, most recent epidemiological studies support the notion that HIV infection itself contributes to cardiovascular disease. However, it is still a mystery how the virus can contribute to cardiovascular disease development even while suppressed by ARTs. This review discusses the current understanding of interactions between HIV infection and cardiovascular diseases in both clinical and experimental studies with special focus on those viral proteins that are still produced by HIV. This will help infectious disease/vascular biology experts to gain insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of HIV-associated cardiovascular disease and new trends to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease in the HIV-infected population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Ru Yi
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA
| | - Linden Ann Green
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA
| | - Sarvesh Chelvanambi
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA
| | - Michael Seimetz
- Medical Clinic II, Department of Internal Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Matthias Clauss
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA.
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19
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Duwal S, Winkelmann S, Schütte C, von Kleist M. Optimal Treatment Strategies in the Context of 'Treatment for Prevention' against HIV-1 in Resource-Poor Settings. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004200. [PMID: 25927964 PMCID: PMC4423987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 2.7 million new HIV-1 infections occurred in 2010. `Treatment-for-prevention’ may strongly prevent HIV-1 transmission. The basic idea is that immediate treatment initiation rapidly decreases virus burden, which reduces the number of transmittable viruses and thereby the probability of infection. However, HIV inevitably develops drug resistance, which leads to virus rebound and nullifies the effect of `treatment-for-prevention’ for the time it remains unrecognized. While timely conducted treatment changes may avert periods of viral rebound, necessary treatment options and diagnostics may be lacking in resource-constrained settings. Within this work, we provide a mathematical platform for comparing different treatment paradigms that can be applied to many medical phenomena. We use this platform to optimize two distinct approaches for the treatment of HIV-1: (i) a diagnostic-guided treatment strategy, based on infrequent and patient-specific diagnostic schedules and (ii) a pro-active strategy that allows treatment adaptation prior to diagnostic ascertainment. Both strategies are compared to current clinical protocols (standard of care and the HPTN052 protocol) in terms of patient health, economic means and reduction in HIV-1 onward transmission exemplarily for South Africa. All therapeutic strategies are assessed using a coarse-grained stochastic model of within-host HIV dynamics and pseudo-codes for solving the respective optimal control problems are provided. Our mathematical model suggests that both optimal strategies (i)-(ii) perform better than the current clinical protocols and no treatment in terms of economic means, life prolongation and reduction of HIV-transmission. The optimal diagnostic-guided strategy suggests rare diagnostics and performs similar to the optimal pro-active strategy. Our results suggest that ‘treatment-for-prevention’ may be further improved using either of the two analyzed treatment paradigms. HIV-1 continues to spread globally. Antiviral treatment cannot cure patients, but it slows disease progression and may prevent HIV transmission by decreasing the amount of transmittable viruses in treated individuals. ‘Treatment-for-prevention’ argues for immediate treatment initiation and may reduce transmission by 96% (CI: 73–99%), according to the results of a large clinical study (HPTN052). In order to ensure long-lasting treatment success, early therapy initiation demands more sophisticated treatment strategies & exceeding funds. However, countries facing the highest HIV burden are among the poorest. Within this work, we provide a mathematical framework that allows assessing different treatment paradigms using optimal control theory together with stochastic modelling of within-host viral dynamics and drug resistance development. We use this framework to compute and evaluate two distinct optimal long-term treatment strategies for resource-constrained settings: (i) a diagnostic-guided and (ii) a pro-active treatment strategy. The cost of a strategy is evaluated from a national economic perspective, valuating a severe patient health status in terms of an economic loss. The optimal strategies are compared with current clinical treatment protocols and no treatment in terms of costs, life expectation and reduction of secondary cases. Our simulations indicate that the pro-active treatment strategy performs comparably to the diagnostic-guided treatment strategy. Both strategies perform better than current clinical protocols, suggesting directions for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulav Duwal
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- Junior Research Group “Systems Pharmacology & Disease Control”
| | - Stefanie Winkelmann
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Christof Schütte
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- Zuse Institute Berlin, Germany
| | - Max von Kleist
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- Junior Research Group “Systems Pharmacology & Disease Control”
- * E-mail:
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20
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Wang T, Green LA, Gupta SK, Amet T, Byrd DJ, Yu Q, Twigg HL, Clauss M. Intracellular Nef detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV patients. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2015; 31:217-20. [PMID: 25062432 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2013.0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here the novel finding that HIV-negative factor (Nef) protein is present in considerable numbers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from viremic HIV-infected patients not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and also in patients receiving virologically suppressive ART, though to a smaller degree. Interestingly, these Nef-positive PBMCs constitute predominantly uninfected bystander cells. These results may explain systemic pathology in HIV patients, even in those receiving ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
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21
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Althaus CL, Joos B, Perelson AS, Günthard HF. Quantifying the turnover of transcriptional subclasses of HIV-1-infected cells. PLoS Comput Biol 2014; 10:e1003871. [PMID: 25340797 PMCID: PMC4207463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1-infected cells in peripheral blood can be grouped into different transcriptional subclasses. Quantifying the turnover of these cellular subclasses can provide important insights into the viral life cycle and the generation and maintenance of latently infected cells. We used previously published data from five patients chronically infected with HIV-1 that initiated combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Patient-matched PCR for unspliced and multiply spliced viral RNAs combined with limiting dilution analysis provided measurements of transcriptional profiles at the single cell level. Furthermore, measurement of intracellular transcripts and extracellular virion-enclosed HIV-1 RNA allowed us to distinguish productive from non-productive cells. We developed a mathematical model describing the dynamics of plasma virus and the transcriptional subclasses of HIV-1-infected cells. Fitting the model to the data allowed us to better understand the phenotype of different transcriptional subclasses and their contribution to the overall turnover of HIV-1 before and during cART. The average number of virus-producing cells in peripheral blood is small during chronic infection. We find that a substantial fraction of cells can become defectively infected. Assuming that the infection is homogenous throughout the body, we estimate an average in vivo viral burst size on the order of 104 virions per cell. Our study provides novel quantitative insights into the turnover and development of different subclasses of HIV-1-infected cells, and indicates that cells containing solely unspliced viral RNA are a good marker for viral latency. The model illustrates how the pool of latently infected cells becomes rapidly established during the first months of acute infection and continues to increase slowly during the first years of chronic infection. Having a detailed understanding of this process will be useful for the evaluation of viral eradication strategies that aim to deplete the latent reservoir of HIV-1. Gaining a quantitative understanding of the development and turnover of different HIV-1-infected subpopulations of cells is crucial to improve the outcome of patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). The population of latently infected cells is of particular interest as they represent the major barrier to a cure of HIV-1 infection. We developed a mathematical model that describes the dynamics of different transcriptionally active subclasses of HIV-1-infected cells and the viral load in peripheral blood. The model was fitted to previously published data from five chronically HIV-1-infected patients starting cART. This allowed us to estimate critical parameters of the within-host dynamics of HIV-1, such as the the number of virions produced by a single infected cell. The model further allowed investigation of HIV-1 dynamics during the acute phase. Computer simulations illustrate that latently infected cells become rapidly established during the first months of acute infection and continue to increase slowly during the first years of chronic infection. This illustrates the opportunity for strategies that aim to eradicate the virus during early cART as the pool of HIV-1 infected cells is substantially smaller during acute infection than during chronic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian L Althaus
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Beda Joos
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alan S Perelson
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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22
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Yukl SA, Shergill AK, Ho T, Killian M, Girling V, Epling L, Li P, Wong LK, Crouch P, Deeks SG, Havlir DV, McQuaid K, Sinclair E, Wong JK. The distribution of HIV DNA and RNA in cell subsets differs in gut and blood of HIV-positive patients on ART: implications for viral persistence. J Infect Dis 2013; 208:1212-20. [PMID: 23852128 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jit308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Even with optimal antiretroviral therapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in plasma, blood cells, and tissues. To develop new therapies, it is essential to know what cell types harbor residual HIV. We measured levels of HIV DNA, RNA, and RNA/DNA ratios in sorted subsets of CD4+ T cells (CCR7+, transitional memory, and effector memory) and non-CD4+ T leukocytes from blood, ileum, and rectum of 8 ART-suppressed HIV-positive subjects. Levels of HIV DNA/million cells in CCR7+ and effector memory cells were higher in the ileum than blood. When normalized by cell frequencies, most HIV DNA and RNA in the blood were found in CCR7+ cells, whereas in both gut sites, most HIV DNA and RNA were found in effector memory cells. HIV DNA and RNA were observed in non-CD4+ T leukocytes at low levels, particularly in gut tissues. Compared to the blood, the ileum had higher levels of HIV DNA and RNA in both CD4+ T cells and non-CD4+ T leukocytes, whereas the rectum had higher HIV DNA levels in both cell types but lower RNA levels in CD4+ T cells. Future studies should determine whether different mechanisms allow HIV to persist in these distinct reservoirs, and the degree to which different therapies can affect each reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Yukl
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco
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23
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Zhang J, Perelson AS. Contribution of follicular dendritic cells to persistent HIV viremia. J Virol 2013; 87:7893-901. [PMID: 23658450 PMCID: PMC3700220 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00556-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 infections cannot be completely eradicated by drug therapy, as the virus persists in reservoirs. Low-level plasma viremia has been detected in patients treated for over 7 years, but the cellular compartments that support this low-level viremia have not been identified. The decay of HIV-1 during treatment appears to occur in four phases, with the 3rd and 4th phases occurring when the virus is below the limit of detection of conventional assays. Here, we focus on the 3rd phase of decay, which has been estimated to have a half-life of 39 months. We show that follicular dendritic cells (FDC), which have been identified as an HIV reservoir, can be the main source of the low-level viremia detected during the 3rd phase of decay and contribute to viremia at even longer times. Our calculations show that the kinetics of leakage of virus from FDC is consistent with three types of available clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingshan Zhang
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
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24
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Yukl SA, Boritz E, Busch M, Bentsen C, Chun TW, Douek D, Eisele E, Haase A, Ho YC, Hütter G, Justement JS, Keating S, Lee TH, Li P, Murray D, Palmer S, Pilcher C, Pillai S, Price RW, Rothenberger M, Schacker T, Siliciano J, Siliciano R, Sinclair E, Strain M, Wong J, Richman D, Deeks SG. Challenges in detecting HIV persistence during potentially curative interventions: a study of the Berlin patient. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003347. [PMID: 23671416 PMCID: PMC3649997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is intense interest in developing curative interventions for HIV. How such a cure will be quantified and defined is not known. We applied a series of measurements of HIV persistence to the study of an HIV-infected adult who has exhibited evidence of cure after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant from a homozygous CCR5Δ32 donor. Samples from blood, spinal fluid, lymph node, and gut were analyzed in multiple laboratories using different approaches. No HIV DNA or RNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), spinal fluid, lymph node, or terminal ileum, and no replication-competent virus could be cultured from PBMCs. However, HIV RNA was detected in plasma (2 laboratories) and HIV DNA was detected in the rectum (1 laboratory) at levels considerably lower than those expected in ART-suppressed patients. It was not possible to obtain sequence data from plasma or gut, while an X4 sequence from PBMC did not match the pre-transplant sequence. HIV antibody levels were readily detectable but declined over time; T cell responses were largely absent. The occasional, low-level PCR signals raise the possibility that some HIV nucleic acid might persist, although they could also be false positives. Since HIV levels in well-treated individuals are near the limits of detection of current assays, more sensitive assays need to be developed and validated. The absence of recrudescent HIV replication and waning HIV-specific immune responses five years after withdrawal of treatment provide proof of a clinical cure. There is intense interest in developing a cure for HIV. How such a cure will be quantified and defined is not known. We applied a series of measurements of HIV persistence to the study of an HIV+ adult who has exhibited evidence of cure after a stem cell transplant. Samples from blood, spinal fluid, lymph node, and gut were analyzed in multiple laboratories using different approaches. No HIV was detected in blood cells, spinal fluid, lymph node, or small intestine, and no infectious virus was recovered from blood. However, HIV was detected in plasma (2 laboratories) and HIV DNA was detected in the rectum (1 laboratory) at levels considerably lower than those expected in antiretroviral treated patients. The occasional, low-level HIV signals might be due to persistent HIV or might reflect false positives. The sensitivity of the current generation of assays to detect HIV RNA, HIV DNA, and infectious virus are close to the limits of detection. Improvements in these tests will be needed for future curative studies. The lack of rebounding virus after five years without therapy, the failure to isolate infectious virus, and the waning HIV-specific immune responses all indicate that the Berlin Patient has been effectively cured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Yukl
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVA) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Eli Boritz
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Busch
- Blood Systems Research Institute (BSRI), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Tae-Wook Chun
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel Douek
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Evelyn Eisele
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley Haase
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Ya-Chi Ho
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gero Hütter
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - J. Shawn Justement
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sheila Keating
- Blood Systems Research Institute (BSRI), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Tzong-Hae Lee
- Blood Systems Research Institute (BSRI), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Peilin Li
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVA) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Danielle Murray
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sarah Palmer
- Department of Diagnostics and Vaccinology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Christopher Pilcher
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Satish Pillai
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVA) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Richard W. Price
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Timothy Schacker
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Janet Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Sinclair
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Matt Strain
- University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph Wong
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVA) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Douglas Richman
- University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Steven G. Deeks
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pasternak AO, Lukashov VV, Berkhout B. Cell-associated HIV RNA: a dynamic biomarker of viral persistence. Retrovirology 2013; 10:41. [PMID: 23587031 PMCID: PMC3637491 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-10-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In most HIV-infected individuals adherent to modern antiretroviral therapy (ART), plasma viremia stays undetectable by clinical assays and therefore, additional virological markers for monitoring and predicting therapy responses and for measuring the degree of HIV persistence in patients on ART should be identified. For the above purposes, quantitation of cell-associated HIV biomarkers could provide a useful alternative to measurements of viral RNA in plasma. This review concentrates on cell-associated (CA) HIV RNA with the emphasis on its use as a virological biomarker. We discuss the significance of CA HIV RNA as a prognostic marker of disease progression in untreated patients and as an indicator of residual virus replication and the size of the dynamic viral reservoir in ART-treated patients. Potential value of this biomarker for monitoring the response to ART and to novel HIV eradication therapies is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Pasternak
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam-CINIMA, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands.
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Zack JA, Kim SG, Vatakis DN. HIV restriction in quiescent CD4⁺ T cells. Retrovirology 2013; 10:37. [PMID: 23557201 PMCID: PMC3626626 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-10-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The restriction of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in quiescent CD4+ T cells has been an area of active investigation. Early studies have suggested that this T cell subset is refractory to infection by the virus. Subsequently it was demonstrated that quiescent cells could be infected at low levels; nevertheless these observations supported the earlier assertions of debilitating defects in the viral life cycle. This phenomenon raised hopes that identification of the block in quiescent cells could lead to the development of new therapies against HIV. As limiting levels of raw cellular factors such as nucleotides did not account for the block to infection, a number of groups pursued the identification of cellular proteins whose presence or absence may impact the permissiveness of quiescent T cells to HIV infection. A series of studies in the past few years have identified a number of host factors implicated in the block to infection. In this review, we will present the progress made, other avenues of investigation and the potential impact these studies have in the development of more effective therapies against HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome A Zack
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Donahue DA, Wainberg MA. Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of HIV-1 latency. Retrovirology 2013; 10:11. [PMID: 23375003 PMCID: PMC3571915 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-10-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Latently infected cells represent the major barrier to either a sterilizing or a functional HIV-1 cure. Multiple approaches to reactivation and depletion of the latent reservoir have been attempted clinically, but full depletion of this compartment remains a long-term goal. Compared to the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of HIV-1 latency and the pathways leading to viral reactivation, less is known about the establishment of latent infection. This review focuses on how HIV-1 latency is established at the cellular and molecular levels. We first discuss how latent infection can be established following infection of an activated CD4 T-cell that undergoes a transition to a resting memory state and also how direct infection of a resting CD4 T-cell can lead to latency. Various animal, primary cell, and cell line models also provide insights into this process and are discussed with respect to the routes of infection that result in latency. A number of molecular mechanisms that are active at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels have been associated with HIV-1 latency. Many, but not all of these, help to drive the establishment of latent infection, and we review the evidence in favor of or against each mechanism specifically with regard to the establishment of latency. We also discuss the role of immediate silent integration of viral DNA versus silencing of initially active infections. Finally, we discuss potential approaches aimed at limiting the establishment of latent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Donahue
- McGill University AIDS Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
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Gianella S, Anderson CM, Vargas MV, Richman DD, Little SJ, Morris SR, Smith DM. Cytomegalovirus DNA in semen and blood is associated with higher levels of proviral HIV DNA. J Infect Dis 2012; 207:898-902. [PMID: 23275608 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jis777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Over three-fourths of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) have at least one herpesvirus detected in their semen, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most prevalent. The presence of CMV is associated with higher T-cell immune activation and with HIV disease progression in treated and untreated individuals. In this study of 113 antiretroviral (ART)-naive HIV-infected MSM, we found that CMV replication in blood and semen was associated with higher levels of HIV DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These observations suggest that interventions aimed to reduce CMV replication and, thus, systemic immune activation could decrease the size of the latent HIV reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Gianella
- University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, MC 0679, La Jolla, CA 92093-0679, USA.
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Pasternak AO, de Bruin M, Jurriaans S, Bakker M, Berkhout B, Prins JM, Lukashov VV. Modest nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy promotes residual HIV-1 replication in the absence of virological rebound in plasma. J Infect Dis 2012; 206:1443-52. [PMID: 22927449 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jis502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens are widely assumed to forgive modest nonadherence, because virological suppression in plasma is common at adherence levels of >70%. Yet, it is unknown whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication is completely suppressed at these levels of adherence. METHODS We longitudinally quantified levels of cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and DNA in 40 patients (median duration of successful ART before study initiation, 46 months), whose 1-week adherence to therapy prior to the sampling moments was measured electronically. RESULTS Patients were constantly 100% adherent (the optimal-adherence group), demonstrated improving adherence over time (the improving-adherence group), or neither of the above (the poor-adherence group). Adherence never decreased to <70% in any patient, and no rebound in plasma virological levels was observed. Nevertheless, poor adherence but not optimal or improving adherence caused a significant longitudinal increase in cell-associated HIV RNA levels (P = .006). Time-weighted changes and regression slopes of viral RNA load for the poor-adherence group were significantly higher than those for the optimal-adherence group (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Because ART only blocks infection of new cells but not viral RNA transcription in cells infected before therapy initiation, the observed effects strongly suggest that modest nonadherence can cause new cycles of HIV-1 replication that are undetectable by commercial plasma viral load assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Pasternak
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Shults K, Flye-Blakemore L, Patterson BK, Elbeik T. Analysis of multiple cell reservoirs expressing unspliced HIV-1 gag-pol mRNA in patients on antiretroviral therapy. Future Virol 2012; 7:819-832. [PMID: 23125871 DOI: 10.2217/fvl.12.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS: Longitudinal percentage change of eight HIV-1 gag-pol mRNA cellular reservoirs from HIV-infected subjects on antiretroviral therapy was ascertained by simultaneous ultrasensitive subpopulation staining/hybridization in situ (SUSHI). MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; METHODS: Serial peripheral blood mononuclear cells were taken from three subjects with treatment success, limited response and viral breakthrough plasma viral load (PVL) profiles. SUSHI was carried out on monocytes, macrophages, CD4(+) cells and naive, memory and activated T-cell reservoirs followed with broad light scatter flow cytometry. RESULTS: All gag-pol(+) reservoirs declined in the treatment success patient and similar to PVL. Only some gag-pol(+) reservoirs responded similarly to PVL for the limited treatment patient, and most gag-pol(+) reservoirs increased 16 weeks prior to PVL breakthrough in the viral breakthrough patient. CONCLUSION: SUSHI measures changes in a wide range of gag-pol(+) reservoirs in response to antiretroviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Shults
- LabCorp Clinical Trials, Advanced Cytometric Applications, Brentwood, TN, USA ; IncellDx Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA
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Gianella S, von Wyl V, Fischer M, Niederoest B, Battegay M, Bernasconi E, Cavassini M, Rauch A, Hirschel B, Vernazza P, Weber R, Joos B, Günthard HF. Effect of early antiretroviral therapy during primary HIV-1 infection on cell-associated HIV-1 DNA and plasma HIV-1 RNA. Antivir Ther 2011; 16:535-45. [PMID: 21685541 DOI: 10.3851/imp1776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) during primary HIV-1 infection may prevent the establishment of large viral reservoirs, possibly resulting in improved control of plasma viraemia rebound after ART cessation. METHODS Levels of cell-associated HIV-1 DNA and plasma HIV-1 RNA were measured longitudinally in 32 acutely and recently infected patients, who started ART ≤120 days after the estimated date of infection, and interrupted ART after 18 months (median) of continuous therapy. Averages of HIV-1 DNA and RNA concentrations present in blood 30-365 days after therapy interruption (median duration 300 days, range 195-358) were compared between patients who started ART ≤60 days after the estimated date of infection (early starters), those who started between 61 and 120 days (later starters), and, for HIV-1 RNA only, with 89 untreated participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study with documented seroconversion and longitudinal measurements collected 90-455 days after the first positive HIV test. RESULTS In early ART starters, average levels of plasma HIV-1 RNA and cell-associated HIV-1 DNA after treatment interruption were 1 log(10) (P=0.008) and 0.4 log(10) (P=0.03) lower compared with later starters. Average post-treatment plasma HIV-1 RNA levels in early starters were significantly lower, respectively, compared with untreated controls (-1.2 log(10); P<0.0004). CONCLUSIONS Early treatment initiation within 2 months after HIV infection compared with later therapy initiation resulted in reduced levels of plasma viraemia and proviral HIV-1 DNA for ≥1 year after subsequent ART cessation. Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels in early starters were also significantly lower than in untreated controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Gianella
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Yukl SA, Li P, Fujimoto K, Lampiris H, Lu CM, Hare CB, Deeks SG, Liegler T, Pandori M, Havlir DV, Wong JK. Modification of the Abbott RealTime assay for detection of HIV-1 plasma RNA viral loads less than one copy per milliliter. J Virol Methods 2011; 175:261-5. [PMID: 21536073 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2011.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Revised: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although commercial tests are approved for detection of HIV-1 plasma viral loads ≥ 20 copies per milliliter (ml), only one specialized research assay has been reported to detect plasma viral loads as low as 1 copy/ml. This manuscript describes a method of concentrating HIV-1 virions from up to 30 ml of plasma, which can be combined with a commercial viral load test to create a widely available, reproducible assay for quantifying plasma HIV RNA levels less than 1 copy/ml. Using this pre-analytically modified assay, samples with a known level of 0.5 copy/ml were detected in 8 of 12 replicates (mean 0.47 copy/ml; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-0.81 copy/ml) and samples with a known level of 1.0 copy/ml were detected in 13 of 13 replicates (mean 1.96 copy/ml; 95% CI 1.42-2.50 copy/ml). By concentrating virus from 30 ml of plasma, HIV RNA could be measured in 16 of 19 samples (84%) from 12 of 12 subjects (mean 2.77 copy/ml; 95% CI 0.86-4.68 copy/ml). The measured viral load correlated inversely (r = -0.78; p = 0.028) with the total duration of viral suppression (viral load<40 copies/ml).
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Yukl
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
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Pace MJ, Agosto L, Graf EH, O’Doherty U. HIV reservoirs and latency models. Virology 2011; 411:344-54. [PMID: 21284992 PMCID: PMC3618966 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2010] [Revised: 12/19/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The main impediment to a cure for HIV is the existence of long-lasting treatment resistant viral reservoirs. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about reservoirs, including their formation and maintenance, while focusing on latently infected CD4+ T cells. In addition, we compare several different in vivo and in vitro models of latency. We comment on how each model may reflect the properties of reservoirs in vivo, especially with regard to cell phenotype, since recent studies demonstrate that multiple CD4+ T cell subsets contribute to HIV reservoirs and that with HAART and disease progression the relative contribution of different subsets may change. Finally, we focus on the direct infection of resting CD4+ T cells as a source of reservoir formation and as a model of latency, since recent results help explain the misconception that resting CD4+ T cells appeared to be resistant to HIV in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Pace
- Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Luis Agosto
- Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Erin H. Graf
- Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Una O’Doherty
- Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
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Agosto LM, Liszewski MK, Mexas A, Graf E, Pace M, Yu JJ, Bhandoola A, O’Doherty U. Patients on HAART often have an excess of unintegrated HIV DNA: implications for monitoring reservoirs. Virology 2011; 409:46-53. [PMID: 20970154 PMCID: PMC3253773 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2010] [Revised: 07/31/2010] [Accepted: 08/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
HIV establishes a latent reservoir early in infection that is resistant to anti-retroviral therapy and has a slow rate of decay. It is thought that the majority of HIV DNA in treated patients is integrated since unintegrated HIV DNA appears to be unstable. Thus, to monitor the HIV latent reservoir, total HIV DNA is commonly measured in PBMC from infected individuals. We investigated how often total approaches integrated HIV DNA in treated patients. To do this, we first assessed how accurate our integration assay is and determined the error in our measurements of total and integrated HIV DNA. We demonstrated an excess of total over integrated HIV DNA was present in a subset of patients, suggesting that measurements of total HIV DNA do not always correlate to the level of integration. Determining the cause of this excess and its frequency may have important implications for understanding HIV latent reservoir maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M. Agosto
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Megan K. Liszewski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Angela Mexas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Erin Graf
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew Pace
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jianqing J. Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Avinash Bhandoola
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Una O’Doherty
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Cell-associated viral burden provides evidence of ongoing viral replication in aviremic HIV-2-infected patients. J Virol 2010; 85:2429-38. [PMID: 21159859 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01921-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Viremia is significantly lower in HIV-2 than in HIV-1 infection, irrespective of disease stage. Nevertheless, the comparable proviral DNA burdens observed for these two infections indicate similar numbers of infected cells. Here we investigated this apparent paradox by assessing cell-associated viral replication. We found that untreated HIV-1-positive (HIV-1(+)) and HIV-2(+) individuals, matched for CD4 T cell depletion, exhibited similar gag mRNA levels, indicating that significant viral transcription is occurring in untreated HIV-2(+) patients, despite the reduced viremia (undetectable to 2.6 × 10(4) RNA copies/ml). However, tat mRNA transcripts were observed at significantly lower levels in HIV-2(+) patients, suggesting that the rate of de novo infection is decreased in these patients. Our data also reveal a direct relationship of gag and tat transcripts with CD4 and CD8 T cell activation, respectively. Antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated HIV-2(+) patients showed persistent viral replication, irrespective of plasma viremia, possibly contributing to the emergence of drug resistance mutations, persistent hyperimmune activation, and poor CD4 T cell recovery that we observed with these individuals. In conclusion, we provide here evidence of significant ongoing viral replication in HIV-2(+) patients, further emphasizing the dichotomy between amount of plasma virus and cell-associated viral burden and stressing the need for antiretroviral trials and the definition of therapeutic guidelines for HIV-2 infection.
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Yukl SA, Shergill AK, McQuaid K, Gianella S, Lampiris H, Hare CB, Pandori M, Sinclair E, Günthard HF, Fischer M, Wong JK, Havlir DV. Effect of raltegravir-containing intensification on HIV burden and T-cell activation in multiple gut sites of HIV-positive adults on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. AIDS 2010; 24:2451-60. [PMID: 20827162 PMCID: PMC2997807 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32833ef7bb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether raltegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) intensification reduces HIV levels in the gut. DESIGN Open-label study in HIV-positive adults on ART with plasma HIV RNA below 40 copies/ml. METHODS Seven HIV-positive adults received 12 weeks of ART intensification with raltegravir alone or in combination with efavirenz or darunavir. Gut cells were obtained by upper and lower endoscopy with biopsies from duodenum, ileum, colon, and rectum at baseline and 12 weeks. Study outcomes included plasma HIV RNA, HIV DNA and RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and four gut sites, T-cell subsets, and activation markers. RESULTS Intensification produced no consistent decrease in HIV RNA in the plasma, PBMC, duodenum, colon, or rectum. However, five of seven participants had a decrease in unspliced HIV RNA per 10 CD4(+) T cells in the ileum. There was a trend towards decreased T-cell activation in all sites, which was greatest for CD8(+) T cells in the ileum and PBMC, and a trend towards increased CD4(+) T cells in the ileum. CONCLUSION Most HIV RNA and DNA in the blood and gut is not the result of ongoing replication that can be impacted by short-term intensification with raltegravir. However, the ileum may support ongoing productive infection in some patients on ART, even if the contribution to plasma RNA is not discernible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Yukl
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA.
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Yukl SA, Gianella S, Sinclair E, Epling L, Li Q, Duan L, Choi ALM, Girling V, Ho T, Li P, Fujimoto K, Lampiris H, Hare CB, Pandori M, Haase AT, Günthard HF, Fischer M, Shergill AK, McQuaid K, Havlir DV, Wong JK. Differences in HIV burden and immune activation within the gut of HIV-positive patients receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy. J Infect Dis 2010; 202:1553-61. [PMID: 20939732 DOI: 10.1086/656722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut is a major reservoir for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). We hypothesized that distinct immune environments within the gut may support varying levels of HIV. METHODS In 8 HIV-1-positive adults who were receiving ART and had CD4(+) T cell counts of >200 cells/μL and plasma viral loads of <40 copies/mL, levels of HIV and T cell activation were measured in blood samples and endoscopic biopsy specimens from the duodenum, ileum, ascending colon, and rectum. RESULTS HIV DNA and RNA levels per CD4(+) T cell were higher in all 4 gut sites compared with those in the blood. HIV DNA levels increased from the duodenum to the rectum, whereas the median HIV RNA level peaked in the ileum. HIV DNA levels correlated positively with T cell activation markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) but negatively with T cell activation markers in the gut. Multiply spliced RNA was infrequently detected in gut, and ratios of unspliced RNA to DNA were lower in the colon and rectum than in PBMCs, which reflects paradoxically low HIV transcription, given the higher level of T cell activation in the gut. CONCLUSIONS HIV DNA and RNA are both concentrated in the gut, but the inverse relationship between HIV DNA levels and T cell activation in the gut and the paradoxically low levels of HIV expression in the large bowel suggest that different processes drive HIV persistence in the blood and gut. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00884793 (PLUS1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Yukl
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
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Schmid A, Gianella S, von Wyl V, Metzner KJ, Scherrer AU, Niederöst B, Althaus CF, Rieder P, Grube C, Joos B, Weber R, Fischer M, Günthard HF. Profound depletion of HIV-1 transcription in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy during acute infection. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13310. [PMID: 20967271 PMCID: PMC2953504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Accepted: 09/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiated in the acute phase of HIV-1 infection may prevent expansion of the latent reservoir, its benefits remain controversial. In the current study, HIV-1 RNA transcription patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were monitored during acute cART to assess the effect of early treatment on cellular viral reservoirs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Acutely HIV-1 infected patients (n = 24) were treated within 3-15 weeks after infection. Patients elected to cease treatment after ≥1 year of therapy. HIV-1 DNA (vDNA), HIV-1 RNA species expressed both in latently and productively infected cells, unspliced (UsRNA), multiply spliced (MsRNA-tatrev; MsRNA-nef), and PBMC-associated extracellular virion RNA (vRex), expressed specifically by productively infected cells, were quantified in PBMC by patient matched real-time PCR prior, during and post cART. In a matched control-group of patients on successful cART started during chronic infection (n = 15), UsRNA in PBMC and vDNA were measured cross-sectionally. In contrast to previous reports, PBMC-associated HIV-1 RNAs declined to predominantly undetectable levels on cART. After cART cessation, UsRNA, vRex, and MsRNA-tatrev rebounded to levels not significantly different to those at baseline (p>0.1). In contrast, MsRNA-nef remained significantly lower as compared to pretreatment (p = 0.015). UsRNA expressed at the highest levels of all viral RNAs, was detectable on cART in 42% of patients with cART initiated during acute infection as opposed to 87% of patients on cART initiated during chronic infection (Fisher's exact test; p = 0.008). Accordingly, UsRNA levels were 105-fold lower in the acute as compared to the chronic group. CONCLUSION Early intervention resulted in profound depletion of PBMC expressing HIV-1 RNA. This is contrary to chronically infected patients who predominantly showed continuous UsRNA expression on cART. Thus, antiretroviral treatment initiated during the acute phase of infection prevented establishment or expansion of long-lived transcriptionally active viral cellular reservoirs in peripheral blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Schmid
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Gianella
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Viktor von Wyl
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karin J. Metzner
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra U. Scherrer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Niederöst
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia F. Althaus
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Philip Rieder
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christina Grube
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Beda Joos
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Weber
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marek Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (MF); (HFG)
| | - Huldrych F. Günthard
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (MF); (HFG)
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Pasternak AO, Jurriaans S, Bakker M, Berkhout B, Lukashov VV. Steady increase in cellular HIV-1 load during the asymptomatic phase of untreated infection despite stable plasma viremia. AIDS 2010; 24:1641-9. [PMID: 20543660 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32833b3171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the dynamics of HIV-1 molecular markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in plasma during the asymptomatic phase of untreated HIV-1 infection. DESIGN AND METHODS Using seminested real-time PCR assays, we measured the levels of HIV-1 proviral (pr) DNA, unspliced (us) RNA, and multiply spliced RNA in the PBMCs of 10 untreated HIV-1-infected men at multiple time points during the asymptomatic phase of infection and compared the longitudinal trends of these markers with those of viral RNA in plasma. RESULTS Whereas plasma RNA levels did not significantly change in any of the individuals, levels of usRNA significantly increased with time in six out of 10 persons, and levels of prDNA in four. Slopes, changes, and time-weighted changes from baseline of usRNA, prDNA, and CD4 cell count, but not of plasma RNA, were significantly different from zero (P < 0.01). No significant longitudinal trend of plasma RNA was observed in the study group using linear mixed models, whereas the trends of usRNA, prDNA, and CD4 cell count were highly significant (P < 0.001). usRNA levels increased significantly faster than those of plasma RNA or prDNA, suggesting a temporal increase in viral replication rates in PBMCs. Finally, CD4 cell count inversely correlated with levels of usRNA and prDNA, but not with plasma RNA level. CONCLUSION During the asymptomatic phase of untreated HIV-1 infection, when virion production and clearance are balanced, resulting in stable plasma viremia, viral load in PBMCs steadily increases and is a sensitive and direct longitudinal virological marker of infection progression.
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Pasternak AO, Jurriaans S, Bakker M, Prins JM, Berkhout B, Lukashov VV. Cellular levels of HIV unspliced RNA from patients on combination antiretroviral therapy with undetectable plasma viremia predict the therapy outcome. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8490. [PMID: 20046870 PMCID: PMC2795168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Accepted: 12/03/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the standard of care for HIV-1 infection, is considered to be successful when plasma viremia remains below the detection limit of commercial assays. Yet, cART fails in a substantial proportion of patients after the apparent success. No laboratory markers are known that are predictive of cART outcome in initial responders during the period of undetectable plasma viremia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we report the results of a retrospective longitudinal study of twenty-six HIV-infected individuals who initially responded to cART by having plasma viremia suppressed to <50 copies/ml. Eleven of these patients remained virologically suppressed, whereas fifteen experienced subsequent cART failure. Using sensitive methods based on seminested real-time PCR, we measured the levels of HIV-1 proviral (pr) DNA, unspliced (us) RNA, and multiply spliced RNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of these patients at multiple time points during the period of undetectable plasma viremia on cART. Median under-therapy level of usRNA was significantly higher (0.43 log(10) difference, P = 0.0015) in patients who experienced subsequent cART failure than in successfully treated patients. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for baseline CD4(+) counts, prior ART experience, and particular cART regimens, the maximal usRNA level under therapy was the best independent predictor of subsequent therapy failure (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 24.4 [1.5-389.5], P = 0.024). The only other factor significantly associated with cART failure was prior ART experience (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 12.3 [1.1-138.4], P = 0.042). Levels of usRNA under cART inversely correlated with baseline CD4(+) counts (P = 0.0003), but did not correlate with either baseline usRNA levels or levels of prDNA under therapy. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that the level of HIV-1 usRNA in PBMC, measured in cART-treated patients with undetectable plasma viremia, is a strong predictive marker for the outcome of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O. Pasternak
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Jurriaans
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Margreet Bakker
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan M. Prins
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vladimir V. Lukashov
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Wu Y. The co-receptor signaling model of HIV-1 pathogenesis in peripheral CD4 T cells. Retrovirology 2009; 6:41. [PMID: 19409100 PMCID: PMC2679705 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-6-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2009] [Accepted: 05/01/2009] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-mediated CD4 depletion is the hallmark of AIDS and is the most reliable predictor of disease progression. While HIV replication is associated with CD4 depletion in general, plasma viremia by itself predicts the rate of CD4 loss only minimally in untreated patients. To resolve this paradox, I hypothesize the existence of a subpopulation of R5X4-signaling viruses. I also suggest that the gradual evolution and emergence of this subpopulation are largely responsible for the slow depletion of peripheral CD4 T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntao Wu
- Department of Molecular and Microbiology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
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