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Schynkel T, van Snippenberg W, Van Hecke C, Vandekerckhove L, Trypsteen W. Evaluating lncRNA Expression Patterns during HIV-1 Treatment Interruption. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021031. [PMID: 36674541 PMCID: PMC9866393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lately, the interest in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as potential drug targets and predictive markers in the context of HIV-1 has peaked, but their in vivo expression and regulation remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the present study examined lncRNA expression patterns during a clinical antiretroviral treatment interruption (ATI) trial. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from ten patients at four timepoints: prior to ATI, 7-15 days after stop, at viral rebound and 3 months post antiretroviral therapy re-initiation. RNA was extracted and RT-qPCR on five known HIV-1-related lncRNAs (HEAL, MALAT1, NEAT1, GAS5 and NRON) was performed and correlated with HIV-1 and host marker expression. All lncRNAs correlated stronger with interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) than with HIV-1 reservoir and replication markers. However, one lncRNA, HEAL, showed significant upregulation at viral rebound during ATI compared to baseline and re-initiation of therapy (p = 0.0010 and p = 0.0094, respectively), following a similar viral-load-driven expression pattern to ISGs. In vitro knockdown of HEAL caused a significant reduction in HIV-1 infection levels, validating HEAL's importance for HIV-1 replication. We conclude that the HIV-1-promoting lncRNA HEAL is upregulated at viral rebound during ATI, most likely induced by viral cues.
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Ruggiero A, Pascucci GR, Cotugno N, Domínguez-Rodríguez S, Rinaldi S, Tagarro A, Rojo P, Foster C, Bamford A, De Rossi A, Nastouli E, Klein N, Morrocchi E, Fatou B, Smolen KK, Ozonoff A, Di Pastena M, Luzuriaga K, Steen H, Giaquinto C, Goulder P, Rossi P, Levy O, Pahwa S, Palma P. Determinants of B-Cell Compartment Hyperactivation in European Adolescents Living With Perinatally Acquired HIV-1 After Over 10 Years of Suppressive Therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:860418. [PMID: 35432380 PMCID: PMC9009387 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.860418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite a successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) experience signs of B-cell hyperactivation with expansion of 'namely' atypical B-cell phenotypes, including double negative (CD27-IgD-) and termed age associated (ABCs) B-cells (T-bet+CD11c+), which may result in reduced cell functionality, including loss of vaccine-induced immunological memory and higher risk of developing B-cells associated tumors. In this context, perinatally HIV infected children (PHIV) deserve particular attention, given their life-long exposure to chronic immune activation. Methods We studied 40 PHIV who started treatment by the 2nd year of life and maintained virological suppression for 13.5 years, with 5/40 patients experiencing transient elevation of the HIV-1 load in the plasma (Spike). We applied a multi-disciplinary approach including immunological B and T cell phenotype, plasma proteomics analysis, and serum level of anti-measles antibodies as functional correlates of vaccine-induced immunity. Results Phenotypic signs of B cell hyperactivation were elevated in subjects starting ART later (%DN T-bet+CD11c+ p=0.03; %AM T-bet+CD11c+ p=0.02) and were associated with detectable cell-associated HIV-1 RNA (%AM T-bet+CD11c+ p=0.0003) and transient elevation of the plasma viral load (spike). Furthermore, B-cell hyperactivation appeared to be present in individuals with higher frequency of exhausted T-cells, in particular: %CD4 TIGIT+ were associated with %DN (p=0.008), %DN T-bet+CD11c+ (p=0.0002) and %AM T-bet+CD11c+ (p=0.002) and %CD4 PD-1 were associated with %DN (p=0.048), %DN T-bet+CD11c+ (p=0.039) and %AM T-bet+CD11c+ (p=0.006). The proteomic analysis revealed that subjects with expansion of these atypical B-cells and exhausted T-cells had enrichment of proteins involved in immune inflammation and complement activation pathways. Furthermore, we observed that higher levels of ABCs were associated a reduced capacity to maintain vaccine-induced antibody immunity against measles (%B-cells CD19+CD10- T-bet+, p=0.035). Conclusion We identified that the levels of hyperactivated B cell subsets were strongly affected by time of ART start and associated with clinical, viral, cellular and plasma soluble markers. Furthermore, the expansion of ABCs also had a direct impact on the capacity to develop antibodies response following routine vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Ruggiero
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rubens Pascucci
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ‘‘Tor Vergata’’, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Cotugno
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ‘‘Tor Vergata’’, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Domínguez-Rodríguez
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Trials Unit (UPIC), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (IMAS12), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital 12 de Octubre, RITIP (Traslational Research Network in Pediatric Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefano Rinaldi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Alfredo Tagarro
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Trials Unit (UPIC), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (IMAS12), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital 12 de Octubre, RITIP (Traslational Research Network in Pediatric Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Infanta Sofía University Hospital. Infanta Sofia University Hospital and Henares University Hospital Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation (FIIB HUIS HHEN), San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Europea, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Rojo
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Trials Unit (UPIC), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (IMAS12), Madrid, Spain
- Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital 12 de Octubre, RITIP (Traslational Research Network in Pediatric Infectious Diseases), Madrid, Spain
| | - Caroline Foster
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alasdair Bamford
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, London, United Kingdom
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anita De Rossi
- Department of Oncology, Surgery and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV)- IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Eleni Nastouli
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel Klein
- Infection, Immunity & Inflammation Department, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Morrocchi
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benoit Fatou
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kinga K. Smolen
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Al Ozonoff
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michela Di Pastena
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- UOSD Unit of Clinical Psychology – Dept. of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Katherine Luzuriaga
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Umass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Hanno Steen
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carlo Giaquinto
- Department of Mother and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Philip Goulder
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Rossi
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ‘‘Tor Vergata’’, Rome, Italy
| | - Ofer Levy
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Savita Pahwa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Paolo Palma
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ‘‘Tor Vergata’’, Rome, Italy
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Malatinkova E, Thomas J, De Spiegelaere W, Rutsaert S, Geretti AM, Pollakis G, Paxton WA, Vandekerckhove L, Ruggiero A. Measuring Proviral HIV-1 DNA: Hurdles and Improvements to an Assay Monitoring Integration Events Utilising Human Alu Repeat Sequences. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121410. [PMID: 34947941 PMCID: PMC8706387 DOI: 10.3390/life11121410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrated HIV-1 DNA persists despite antiretroviral therapy and can fuel viral rebound following treatment interruption. Hence, methods to specifically measure the integrated HIV-1 DNA portion only are important to monitor the reservoir in eradication trials. Here, we provide an up-to-date overview of the literature on the different approaches used to measure integrated HIV-1 DNA. Further, we propose an implemented standard-curve free assay to quantify integrated HIV-1 DNA, so-called Alu-5LTR PCR, which utilises novel primer combinations. We tested the Alu-5LTR PCR in 20 individuals on suppressive ART for a median of nine years; the results were compared to those produced with the standard-free Alu-gag assay. The numbers of median integrated HIV-1 DNA copies were 5 (range: 1–12) and 14 (5–26) with the Alu-gag and Alu-5LTR, respectively. The ratios between Alu-gag vs Alu-5LTR results were distributed within the cohort as follows: most patients (12/20, 60%) provided ratios between 2–5, with 3/20 (15%) and 5/20 (25%) being below or above this range, respectively. Alu-5LTR assay sensitivity was also determined using an “integrated standard”; the data confirmed the increased sensitivity of the assay, i.e., equal to 0.25 proviruses in 10,000 genomes. This work represents an improvement in the field of measuring proviral HIV-1 DNA that could be employed in future HIV-1 persistence and eradication studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Malatinkova
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (E.M.); (S.R.); (L.V.)
| | - Jordan Thomas
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK; (J.T.); (G.P.); (W.A.P.)
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Laboratory of Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Ghent University, B-9820 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (E.M.); (S.R.); (L.V.)
| | - Anna Maria Geretti
- Fondazione PTV and Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK; (J.T.); (G.P.); (W.A.P.)
| | - William A. Paxton
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK; (J.T.); (G.P.); (W.A.P.)
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (E.M.); (S.R.); (L.V.)
| | - Alessandra Ruggiero
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK; (J.T.); (G.P.); (W.A.P.)
- Department Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, School of Medicine-University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-045-802-7190
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Debyser Z, Bruggemans A, Van Belle S, Janssens J, Christ F. LEDGINs, Inhibitors of the Interaction Between HIV-1 Integrase and LEDGF/p75, Are Potent Antivirals with a Potential to Cure HIV Infection. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1322:97-114. [PMID: 34258738 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-0267-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
A permanent cure remains the greatest challenge in the field of HIV research. In order to reach this goal, a profound understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling HIV integration and transcription is needed. Here we provide an overview of recent advances in the field. Lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), a transcriptional coactivator, tethers and targets the HIV integrase into transcriptionally active regions of the chromatin through an interaction with the epigenetic mark H3K36me2/3. This finding prompted us to propose a "block-and-lock" strategy to retarget HIV integration into deep latency. A decade ago, we pioneered protein-protein interaction inhibitors for HIV and discovered LEDGINs. LEDGINs are small molecule inhibitors of the interaction between the integrase binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF/p75 and HIV integrase. They modify integration site selection and therefore might be molecules with a "block-and-lock" mechanism of action. Here we will describe how LEDGINs may become part in the future functional cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeger Debyser
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bruggemans
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Siska Van Belle
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Janssens
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frauke Christ
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Kok YL, Vongrad V, Chaudron SE, Shilaih M, Leemann C, Neumann K, Kusejko K, Di Giallonardo F, Kuster H, Braun DL, Kouyos RD, Günthard HF, Metzner KJ. HIV-1 integration sites in CD4+ T cells during primary, chronic, and late presentation of HIV-1 infection. JCI Insight 2021; 6:143940. [PMID: 33784259 PMCID: PMC8262285 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.143940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 is capable of integrating its genome into that of its host cell. We examined the influence of the activation state of CD4+ T cells, the effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the clinical stage of HIV-1 infection on HIV-1 integration site features and selection. HIV-1 integration sites were sequenced from longitudinally sampled resting and activated CD4+ T cells from 12 HIV-1–infected individuals. In total, 589 unique HIV-1 integration sites were analyzed: 147, 391, and 51 during primary, chronic, and late presentation of HIV-1 infection, respectively. As early as during primary HIV-1 infection and independent of the activation state of CD4+ T cells collected on and off ART, HIV-1 integration sites were preferentially detected in recurrent integration genes, genes associated with clonal expansion of latently HIV-1–infected CD4+ T cells, cancer-related genes, and highly expressed genes. The preference for cancer-related genes was more pronounced at late stages of HIV-1 infection. Host genomic features of HIV-1 integration site selection remained stable during HIV-1 infection in both resting and activated CD4+ T cells. In summary, characteristic HIV-1 integration site features are preestablished as early as during primary HIV-1 infection and are found in both resting and activated CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yik Lim Kok
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Vongrad
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra E Chaudron
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mohaned Shilaih
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Leemann
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Neumann
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Kusejko
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Di Giallonardo
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Herbert Kuster
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominique L Braun
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger D Kouyos
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin J Metzner
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract
Quantification of cell associated HIV RNA (ca-RNA) is one of the most important and commonly used methods to evaluate the performance of latency-reversing agents (LRAs). Copies of HIV RNA measured by qPCR, are often normalized to the input RNA or cell number. However, these could be affected by biological variability and/or technical errors, which can be avoided by using an internal reference gene. To obtain reliable data, it is essential to select stable reference genes (RGs) of which the expression is not influenced by biological variability, the type of cells, or the LRAs used. However, to date, no study has carefully evaluated RG stability following LRA exposure. We analyzed the stability of six widely used RGs (GAPDH, TBP, YWHAZ, UBE2D2, HPRT1 and RPL27A) in human PBMC and CD4+ T cells. LRA exposure significantly influenced the stability of these RGs. Overall, TBP, UBE2D2, and RPL27A were the most stable RGs in all tested conditions. TBP was generally the most stable RG whereas GAPDH varied the most. Finally, we evaluated the impact of applying different RG normalizers to host genes and HIV ca-RNA data. Altered results were observed both in host and HIV gene expression when unstable RGs were used. Our data underline the importance of testing the stability of RGs utilized to evaluate LRA-induced HIV ca-RNA expression. To our knowledge, this is the first careful evaluation of the stability of RGs after LRA exposure and will significantly contribute to the quality of data analysis in regard to gene expression.IMPORTANCELatency-reversing agents (LRAs) are ubiquitously used in the "shock-and-kill" HIV cure strategy and their performance is often evaluated by ex-vivo quantification of cell associated HIV RNA. HIV RNA, measured by qPCR, is often normalized to internal reference genes, but the expression of these genes should not be influenced by the experimental settings. We found that treatment of human PBMC and CD4+ T cells with LRAs significantly altered the expression of several commonly used reference genes, such as GAPDH. Finally, we evaluate the impact of different reference genes on normalization of host genes and HIV cell associated RNA expression and demonstrated that using unstable reference genes dramatically altered experimental outcome. Our data highlight the importance of using reference genes that are unaffected by LRAs under study to correctly evaluate host gene and cell associated HIV RNA expression induced by latency-reversing agents.
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Heritability of the HIV-1 reservoir size and decay under long-term suppressive ART. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5542. [PMID: 33139735 PMCID: PMC7608612 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19198-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 reservoir is the major hurdle to curing HIV-1. However, the impact of the viral genome on the HIV-1 reservoir, i.e. its heritability, remains unknown. We investigate the heritability of the HIV-1 reservoir size and its long-term decay by analyzing the distribution of those traits on viral phylogenies from both partial-pol and viral near full-length genome sequences. We use a unique nationwide cohort of 610 well-characterized HIV-1 subtype-B infected individuals on suppressive ART for a median of 5.4 years. We find that a moderate but significant fraction of the HIV-1 reservoir size 1.5 years after the initiation of ART is explained by genetic factors. At the same time, we find more tentative evidence for the heritability of the long-term HIV-1 reservoir decay. Our findings indicate that viral genetic factors contribute to the HIV-1 reservoir size and hence the infecting HIV-1 strain may affect individual patients’ hurdle towards a cure. The HIV reservoir is a major hurdle for a cure of HIV, but the factors determining its size and dynamics remain unclear. Here the authors show in a large cohort of 610 HIV-1 infected individuals, who are on suppressive ART for a median of 5.4 years, that viral genetic factors contribute substantially to the HIV-1 reservoir size.
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Rutsaert S, De Spiegelaere W, De Clercq L, Vandekerckhove L. Evaluation of HIV-1 reservoir levels as possible markers for virological failure during boosted darunavir monotherapy. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 74:3030-3034. [PMID: 31314108 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gold standard for HIV-1 treatment is to administer triple antiretroviral therapy, but a shift to simplified regimens is being explored. Boosted darunavir monotherapy can be considered for patients who are for specific reasons not good candidates for dual or triple therapy. Still, a number of patients fail virologically or need to switch treatment. OBJECTIVES To identify predictive markers for those patients that are more likely to sustain virological control under monotherapy, virological and immunological markers were explored in HIV-1-positive patients that experienced virological failure on ritonavir-boosted darunavir monotherapy in the PROTEA trial. METHODS As a retrospective nested study of the PROTEA study (NCT01448707), we analysed 77 HIV-1-infected patients who were on darunavir/ritonavir 800/100 mg monotherapy up to 96 weeks. Patients were appointed to three distinct cohorts based on viral loads (VLs): (i) undetectable VL after 96 weeks; (ii) very-low-level viraemia (5-39 copies/mL); and (iii) failing treatment. Total HIV-1 DNA, integrated HIV-1 DNA and 2-long terminal repeat circular HIV-1 DNA (2LTR circles) were measured in PBMCs at baseline, week 48 and week 96. RESULTS Total HIV-1 DNA and integrated HIV-1 DNA at baseline differed significantly between patients who experienced virological failure on monotherapy (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001). Although a higher level of HIV-1 DNA was measured in failures, this marker by itself does not provide enough predictive value to prospectively predict virological failure in patients on monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS HIV-1 reservoir markers correlate with therapy failure in ritonavir-boosted darunavir monotherapy. However, their role as a predictive marker combined with other markers in a routine clinical setting should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura De Clercq
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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9
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Orlandi C, Canovari B, Bozzano F, Marras F, Pasquini Z, Barchiesi F, De Maria A, Magnani M, Casabianca A. A comparative analysis of unintegrated HIV-1 DNA measurement as a potential biomarker of the cellular reservoir in the blood of patients controlling and non-controlling viral replication. J Transl Med 2020; 18:204. [PMID: 32429953 PMCID: PMC7236182 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02368-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The persistence of HIV-1 in reservoir cells is one of the major obstacles to eradicating the virus in infected individuals receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). HIV-1 persists in infected cells as a stable integrated genome and more labile unintegrated DNA (uDNA), which includes linear, 1-LTR and 2-LTR circular DNA. 2-LTR circle DNA, although less abundant, is considered a surrogate marker of recent infection events and is currently used instead of the other unintegrated species as a diagnostic tool. This pilot study aimed to investigate how to best achieve the measurement of uDNA. Methods A comparative analysis of two qPCR-based methods (U-assay and 2-LTR assay) was performed on the blood of 12 ART-naïve, 14 viremic and 29 aviremic On-ART patients and 20 untreated spontaneous controllers (HIC), sampled at a single time point. Results The U-assay, which quantified all unintegrated DNA species, showed greater sensitivity than the 2-LTR assay (up to 75%, p < 0.0001), especially in viremic subjects, in whom other forms, in addition to 2-LTR circles, may also accumulate due to active viral replication. Indeed, in aviremic On-ART samples, the U-assay unexpectedly measured uDNA in a higher proportion of samples (76%, 22/29) than the 2-LTR assay (41%, 12/29), (p = 0.0164). A trend towards lower uDNA levels was observed in aviremic vs viremic On-ART patients, reaching significance when we combined aviremic On-ART and HIC (controllers) vs Off-ART and viremic On-ART subjects (non-controllers) (p = 0.0003), whereas 2-LTR circle levels remained constant (p ≥ 0.2174). These data were supported by the high correlation found between uDNA and total DNA (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). Conclusions The great advantage of the U-assay is that, unlike the 2-LTR assay, it allows the accurate evaluation of the totality of uDNA that can still be measured even during successful ART when plasma viremia is below the cut-off of common clinical tests (< 50 copies/mL) and 2-LTR circles are more likely to be under the quantification limit. UDNA measurement in blood cells may be used as a biomarker to reveal a so far hidden or underestimated viral reservoir. The potential clinical relevance of uDNA quantification may lead to improvements in diagnostic methods to support clinical strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Orlandi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Benedetta Canovari
- Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, Pesaro, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Marras
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy
| | - Zeno Pasquini
- Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, Pesaro, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Barchiesi
- Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, Pesaro, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea De Maria
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino IRCCS, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, DISSAL, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mauro Magnani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Anna Casabianca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.
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10
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Thomas J, Ruggiero A, Paxton WA, Pollakis G. Measuring the Success of HIV-1 Cure Strategies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:134. [PMID: 32318356 PMCID: PMC7154081 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 eradication strategies aim to achieve viral remission in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The development of an HIV-1 cure remains challenging due to the latent reservoir (LR): long-lived CD4 T cells that harbor transcriptionally silent HIV-1 provirus. The LR is stable despite years of suppressive ART and is the source of rebound viremia following therapy interruption. Cure strategies such as "shock and kill" aim to eliminate or reduce the LR by reversing latency, exposing the infected cells to clearance via the immune response or the viral cytopathic effect. Alternative strategies include therapeutic vaccination, which aims to prime the immune response to facilitate control of the virus in the absence of ART. Despite promising advances, these strategies have been unable to significantly reduce the LR or increase the time to viral rebound but have provided invaluable insight in the field of HIV-1 eradication. The development and assessment of an HIV-1 cure requires robust assays that can measure the LR with sufficient sensitivity to detect changes that may occur following treatment. The viral outgrowth assay (VOA) is considered the gold standard method for LR quantification due to its ability to distinguish intact and defective provirus. However, the VOA is time consuming and resource intensive, therefore several alternative assays have been developed to bridge the gap between practicality and accuracy. Whilst a cure for HIV-1 infection remains elusive, recent advances in our understanding of the LR and methods for its eradication have offered renewed hope regarding achieving ART free viral remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Thomas
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandra Ruggiero
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Immune and Infectious Disease Division, Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - William A Paxton
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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11
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Kint S, Trypsteen W, De Spiegelaere W, Malatinkova E, Kinloch-de Loes S, De Meyer T, Van Criekinge W, Vandekerckhove L. Underestimated effect of intragenic HIV-1 DNA methylation on viral transcription in infected individuals. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:36. [PMID: 32111236 PMCID: PMC7049218 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00829-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The HIV-1 proviral genome harbors multiple CpG islands (CpGIs), both in the promoter and intragenic regions. DNA methylation in the promoter region has been shown to be heavily involved in HIV-1 latency regulation in cultured cells. However, its exact role in proviral transcriptional regulation in infected individuals is poorly understood or characterized. Moreover, methylation at intragenic CpGIs has never been studied in depth. Results A large, well-characterized HIV-1 patient cohort (n = 72), consisting of 17 long-term non-progressors and 8 recent seroconverters (SRCV) without combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), 15 early cART-treated, and 32 late cART-treated patients, was analyzed using a next-generation bisulfite sequencing DNA methylation method. In general, we observed low level of promoter methylation and higher levels of intragenic methylation. Additionally, SRCV showed increased promoter methylation and decreased intragenic methylation compared with the other patient groups. This data indicates that increased intragenic methylation could be involved in proviral transcriptional regulation. Conclusions Contrasting in vitro studies, our results indicate that intragenic hypermethylation of HIV-1 proviral DNA is an underestimated factor in viral control in HIV-1-infected individuals, showing the importance of analyzing the complete proviral genome in future DNA methylation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Kint
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Eva Malatinkova
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sabine Kinloch-de Loes
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free Campus, University College London, Pont St, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Tim De Meyer
- Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Criekinge
- Biobix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Medical Research Building 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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12
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Bachmann N, von Siebenthal C, Vongrad V, Turk T, Neumann K, Beerenwinkel N, Bogojeska J, Fellay J, Roth V, Kok YL, Thorball CW, Borghesi A, Parbhoo S, Wieser M, Böni J, Perreau M, Klimkait T, Yerly S, Battegay M, Rauch A, Hoffmann M, Bernasconi E, Cavassini M, Kouyos RD, Günthard HF, Metzner KJ. Determinants of HIV-1 reservoir size and long-term dynamics during suppressive ART. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3193. [PMID: 31324762 PMCID: PMC6642170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10884-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 reservoir is the major hurdle to a cure. We here evaluate viral and host characteristics associated with reservoir size and long-term dynamics in 1,057 individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy for a median of 5.4 years. At the population level, the reservoir decreases with diminishing differences over time, but increases in 26.6% of individuals. Viral blips and low-level viremia are significantly associated with slower reservoir decay. Initiation of ART within the first year of infection, pretreatment viral load, and ethnicity affect reservoir size, but less so long-term dynamics. Viral blips and low-level viremia are thus relevant for reservoir and cure studies. Here, Bachmann et al. provide data on long-term dynamics of the HIV-1 reservoir in 1,057 individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy and show that in 26.6% of individuals the reservoir increases. Viral blips and low-level viremia are significantly associated with a slower reservoir decay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Bachmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chantal von Siebenthal
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Vongrad
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Teja Turk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Neumann
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niko Beerenwinkel
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Jaques Fellay
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Precision Medicine Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Volker Roth
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yik Lim Kok
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Alessandro Borghesi
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Sonali Parbhoo
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mario Wieser
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Böni
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthieu Perreau
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Klimkait
- Division Infection Diagnostics, Department Biomedicine-Petersplatz, University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Yerly
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory of Virology, University Hospital Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Battegay
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andri Rauch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Hoffmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen, 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Enos Bernasconi
- Infectious Diseases Service, Regional Hospital, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Cavassini
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roger D Kouyos
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Karin J Metzner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Total HIV-1 DNA Dynamics and Influencing Factors in Long-Term ART-Treated Japanese Adults: A Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 78:239-247. [PMID: 29481485 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding HIV persistence in treated patients is an important milestone toward drug-free control. We aimed at analyzing total HIV DNA dynamics and influencing factors in Japanese patients who received more than a decade of suppressive antiretroviral treatment (ART). METHODS A retrospective study including clinical records and 840 peripheral blood mononuclear cells samples (mean 14 samples/patient) for 59 patients (92% male) was performed. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: with and without hematological comorbidity (mainly hemophilia) plus hepatitis C virus coinfection. Total HIV DNA was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The dynamics, regression over time, and influence of antiretrovirals by group were estimated using a novel regression model (R software v 3.2.3). RESULTS Total HIV DNA decreased on ART initiation, and subsequently, its dynamics varied between groups with previously undescribed fluctuations. If calculated by on-treatment, the mean total HIV DNA levels were similar. The comorbidity group had unstable levels showing different regression over time (P = 0.088/0.094 in year 1/after year 8 of ART) and significantly different treatment responses as shown by antiretroviral group switching estimates. Furthermore, curing hepatitis C virus in hemophiliacs did not significantly alter total HIV DNA levels or regression. CONCLUSIONS Our data identified some effects of the long-term treatment on total HIV DNA levels and highlighted the partial influence of comorbidities and coinfections. Total HIV DNA monitoring contributed to therapy response estimates and HIV reservoir quantification. The results suggest that HIV DNA monitoring during ART might be useful as a persistence marker in both HIV-monoinfected patients and those with comorbidities and coinfections.
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14
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Luo L, Wang N, Yue Y, Han Y, Lv W, Liu Z, Qiu Z, Lu H, Tang X, Zhang T, Zhao M, He Y, Shenghua H, Wang M, Li Y, Huang S, Li Y, Liu J, Tuofu Z, Routy JP, Li T. The effects of antiretroviral therapy initiation time on HIV reservoir size in Chinese chronically HIV infected patients: a prospective, multi-site cohort study. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:257. [PMID: 30871484 PMCID: PMC6419375 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-3847-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The effect of ART initiation time on HIV-1 DNA reservoir in chronically infected individuals is not well understood. Determining the potential influencing factors associated with a low HIV-1 DNA level in chronic infection is an important step toward drug-free control. Methods A prospective study included 444 chronically HIV-infected adults was performed. Participants were divided into two groups: early initiation group (EIG) or delayed initiation group (DIG) based on their baseline CD4 count; 350 to 500 and < 350 cells/mm3, respectively. Total HIV-1 DNA was measured by quantitative PCR. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, the HIV-1 DNA level at week 48 was compared between the two groups. The influencing factors of the HIV-1 DNA and factors associated with achieving a low HIV-1 level at week 48 were analyzed. Results The HIV-1 DNA at week 48 in EIG was significantly lower than in DIG [2.12 (1.80–2.51) vs 2.58 (2.21–2.87) log10 copies/106peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); p = 0.001]. Early ART initiation was positively associated with lower HIV-1 DNA at week 48 (p = 0.025). Similarly, baseline HIV-1DNA (p = 0.001) was positively associated with HIV-1DNA at week 48 and baseline CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.001) was inversely associated with HIV-1DNA at week 48. Early ART initiation (p = 0.003) and baseline HIV-1 DNA level (p < 0.001) were positively associated with achieving HIV-1 DNA < 100 copies/106 PBMCs at week 48. Conclusion Early ART initiation is positively associated with a smaller size of viral reservoir and a higher possibility of achieving a low HIV-1DNA level at week 48 in Chinese chronically HIV-1 infected adult. Trial registration NCT01844297; Registered 1 May, 2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Luo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Nidan Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yongsong Yue
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yang Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wei Lv
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhengyin Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhifeng Qiu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center affiliated with Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Tong Zhang
- Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Zhao
- 302 Military Hospital of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yun He
- The Infectious Disease Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - He Shenghua
- Chengdu Infectious Diseases Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Min Wang
- The First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, China
| | - Yongzhen Li
- The Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Guangxi province, Nanning, China
| | | | - Yong Li
- The Longtan Hospital, Liuzhou, China
| | - Jing Liu
- The hospital affiliated with the Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhu Tuofu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Routy
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Chronic Viral Illness Service, and Division of Hematology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Taisheng Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China.
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15
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Van Hecke C, Trypsteen W, Malatinkova E, De Spiegelaere W, Vervisch K, Rutsaert S, Kinloch-de Loes S, Sips M, Vandekerckhove L. Early treated HIV-1 positive individuals demonstrate similar restriction factor expression profile as long-term non-progressors. EBioMedicine 2019; 41:443-454. [PMID: 30770230 PMCID: PMC6442000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Van Hecke
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Malatinkova
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Karen Vervisch
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sabine Kinloch-de Loes
- Division of Infection and Immunitys, Royal Free Hospital and Royal Free Campus, University College London, Pont St, Hampstead, London NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
| | - Magdalena Sips
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Debyser Z, Vansant G, Bruggemans A, Janssens J, Christ F. Insight in HIV Integration Site Selection Provides a Block-and-Lock Strategy for a Functional Cure of HIV Infection. Viruses 2018; 11:E12. [PMID: 30587760 PMCID: PMC6356730 DOI: 10.3390/v11010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant improvements in therapy, the HIV/AIDS pandemic remains an important threat to public health. Current treatments fail to eradicate HIV as proviral DNA persists in long-living cellular reservoirs, leading to viral rebound whenever treatment is discontinued. Hence, a better understanding of viral reservoir establishment and maintenance is required to develop novel strategies to destroy latently infected cells, and/or to durably silence the latent provirus in infected cells. Whereas the mechanism of integration has been well studied from a catalytic point of view, it remains unknown how integration site selection and transcription are linked. In recent years, evidence has grown that lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75) is the main determinant of HIV integration site selection and that the integration site affects the transcriptional state of the provirus. LEDGINs have been developed as small molecule inhibitors of the interaction between LEDGF/p75 and integrase. Recently, it was shown that LEDGIN treatment in cell culture shifts the residual integrated provirus towards the inner nuclear compartment and out of transcription units in a dose dependent manner. This LEDGIN-mediated retargeting increased the proportion of provirus with a transcriptionally silent phenotype and the residual reservoir proved refractory to reactivation in vitro. LEDGINs provide us with a research tool to study the link between integration and transcription, a quintessential question in retrovirology. LEDGIN-mediated retargeting of the residual reservoirs provides a novel potential "block-and-lock" strategy as a functional cure of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeger Debyser
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49⁻Bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Gerlinde Vansant
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49⁻Bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bruggemans
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49⁻Bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Julie Janssens
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49⁻Bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Frauke Christ
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49⁻Bus 1023, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
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17
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In-depth validation of total HIV-1 DNA assays for quantification of various HIV-1 subtypes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17274. [PMID: 30467426 PMCID: PMC6250682 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35403-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 DNA quantification serves as an important reservoir biomarker in HIV cure trials. However, the high genetic diversity of HIV-1 represented by different subtypes may bring inaccuracy in quantifying HIV-1 DNA and a sensitive and validated assay covering diverse HIV-1 subtypes is lacking. Therefore, we cross-validated total HIV-1 DNA assays described in literature using a three-step comparative analysis. First, a bioinformatics tool was developed in-house to perform an in silico evaluation of 67 HIV-1 DNA assays. Secondly, these selected assays were in vitro validated using a panel of different HIV-1 subtypes and, finally, ex vivo assessed on selected patient samples with different HIV-1 subtypes. Our results show that quantification of HIV-1 DNA substantially differs between assays and we advise five best performing HIV-1 DNA assays for ddPCR and qPCR (Schvachsa_2007, Viard_2004, Heeregrave_2009, Van_der_Sluis_2013, Yu_2008 and Yun_2002). This in-depth analysis of published HIV-1 DNA assays indicates that not all assays guarantee an optimal measurement of HIV-1 DNA, especially when looking across subtypes. Using an in-depth cross-validation, we were able to validate HIV-1 DNA assays that are suitable for quantification of HIV-1 DNA in a wide variety of HIV-1 infected patients.
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18
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Wijting I, Rutsaert SL, Rokx C, Burger DM, Verbon A, van Kampen J, Boucher C, Rijnders B, Vandekerckhove L. Predictors of virological failure in HIV-1-infected patients switching to dolutegravir maintenance monotherapy. HIV Med 2018; 20:63-68. [PMID: 30270543 PMCID: PMC6586017 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.12675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Objectives The Dolutegravir Monotherapy for HIV (DOMONO; NCT02401828) study showed that maintenance monotherapy with dolutegravir (DTG) is associated with virological failure (VF) and leads to DTG resistance and as a result should not be used. However, data on clinical and virological factors associated with VF during DTG monotherapy are lacking. We identified factors associated with VF during DTG monotherapy. Methods A randomized trial was carried out in which patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) with an HIV‐1 RNA zenith < 100 000 copies/mL and a CD4 T‐cell nadir ≥ 200 cells/μL, who had never experienced VF, switched to DTG monotherapy. Clinical and virological factors were compared between patients with and without VF, using univariate analyses. Results Eight of the 95 patients developed VF during DTG monotherapy. A total of 78 participants had reached week 48 when the study was discontinued. The median CD4 T‐cell nadir was lower in patients with VF than in patients without VF [260 (interquartile range (IQR) 223–320) versus 380 (IQR 290–520) cells/μL, respectively; P = 0.011]. Patients with VF had a longer time between HIV diagnosis and cART initiation than those without VF [median 49 (IQR 27–64) versus 15 (IQR 1–38) months, respectively; P = 0.015]. The median total peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) HIV DNA copy number was higher in patients with VF than in those without VF [417 (range 85–4151) versus 147 (range 16–4132) copies/106PBMCs, respectively; P = 0.022]. Conclusions A lower CD4 nadir, a longer time between HIV diagnosis and cART initiation, and a higher HIV DNA copy number at the time of DTG monotherapy initiation were associated with VF. While there clearly is no future role for DTG monotherapy, ongoing and future studies on the efficacy of maintenance dual therapy (e.g. DTG lamivudine) may have to take these variables into account in their study design and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iea Wijting
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S L Rutsaert
- Department of Internal Medicine, HIV Cure Research Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - C Rokx
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D M Burger
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Verbon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jja van Kampen
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cab Boucher
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bja Rijnders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Vandekerckhove
- Department of Internal Medicine, HIV Cure Research Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Hong F, Jacobs JL, Aga E, Cillo AR, Fyne E, Koontz DL, Zheng L, Mellors JW. Associations between HIV-1 DNA copy number, proviral transcriptional activity, and plasma viremia in individuals off or on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Virology 2018; 521:51-57. [PMID: 29879542 PMCID: PMC6279608 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between HIV-1 DNA copy number, proviral transcriptional activity, and residual plasma viremia in individuals off and on ART are not well defined. To address this, we performed a cross-sectional study of 12 viremic donors and 23 ART-treated virologically suppressed (plasma HIV-1 RNA<20 copies/ml) donors. We report a strong association between HIV-1 DNA copy number and HIV-1 transcriptional activity in blood that persists on suppressive ART, but not between transcriptional activity and the levels of persistent viremia on ART. The latter finding contrasts with that in viremic donors and suggests that most HIV transcription in donors on suppressive ART does not result in virion production. This uncoupling of proviral transcription and viremia warrants closer investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyu Hong
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Jana L Jacobs
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Evgenia Aga
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anthony R Cillo
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Elizabeth Fyne
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Dianna L Koontz
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
| | - Lu Zheng
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John W Mellors
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 3550 Terrace Street, Scaife Hall, Suite 818, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States.
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20
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Uprety P, Patel K, Karalius B, Ziemniak C, Chen YH, Brummel SS, Siminski S, Van Dyke RB, Seage GR, Persaud D. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 DNA Decay Dynamics With Early, Long-term Virologic Control of Perinatal Infection. Clin Infect Dis 2018; 64:1471-1478. [PMID: 28329153 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Early antiretroviral therapy (ART) limits proviral reservoirs, a goal for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remission strategies. Whether this is an immediate or long-term effect of virologic suppression (VS) in perinatal infection is unknown. Methods. We quantified HIV-1 DNA longitudinally for up to 14 years in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) among 61 perinatally HIV-1-infected youths in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study who achieved VS at different ages. Participants in group 1 (n = 13) were <1 year of age and in group 2 (n = 48) from 1 through 5 years of age at VS. Piecewise linear mixed-effects regression models assessed the effect of age at VS on HIV-1 DNA trajectories during VS. Results. In the first 2 years following VS, HIV-1 DNA levels decreased by -0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], -.36 to -.13) log10 copies/million PBMCs per year and was faster with early VS by age 1 year compared with after age 1 (-0.50 and -0.15 log10 copies/million PBMCs per year, respectively). Between years 2 and 14 from VS, HIV-1 DNA decayed by -0.05 (95% CI, -.06 to -.03) log10 copies/million PBMCs per year and was no longer significantly different between groups. The estimated mean half-life of HIV-1 DNA from VS was 15.9 years and was shorter for group 1 compared to group 2 at 5.9 years and 18.8 years, respectively (P = .09). Adjusting for CD4 cell counts had no effect on decay estimates. Conclusions. Early effective, long-term ART initiated from infancy leads to decay of HIV-1-infected cells to exceedingly low concentrations desired for HIV-1 remission strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Uprety
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kunjal Patel
- Department of Epidemiology/Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brad Karalius
- Department of Epidemiology/Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carrie Ziemniak
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ya Hui Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sean S Brummel
- Department of Epidemiology/Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Russell B Van Dyke
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - George R Seage
- Department of Epidemiology/Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah Persaud
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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21
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Rutsaert S, Bosman K, Trypsteen W, Nijhuis M, Vandekerckhove L. Digital PCR as a tool to measure HIV persistence. Retrovirology 2018; 15:16. [PMID: 29378600 PMCID: PMC5789538 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0399-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although antiretroviral therapy is able to suppress HIV replication in infected patients, the virus persists and rebounds when treatment is stopped. In order to find a cure that can eradicate the latent reservoir, one must be able to quantify the persisting virus. Traditionally, HIV persistence studies have used real-time PCR (qPCR) to measure the viral reservoir represented by HIV DNA and RNA. Most recently, digital PCR is gaining popularity as a novel approach to nucleic acid quantification as it allows for absolute target quantification. Various commercial digital PCR platforms are nowadays available that implement the principle of digital PCR, of which Bio-Rad’s QX200 ddPCR is currently the most used platform in HIV research. Quantification of HIV by digital PCR is proving to be a valuable improvement over qPCR as it is argued to have a higher robustness to mismatches between the primers-probe set and heterogeneous HIV, and forfeits the need for a standard curve, both of which are known to complicate reliable quantification. However, currently available digital PCR platforms occasionally struggle with unexplained false-positive partitions, and reliable segregation between positive and negative droplets remains disputed. Future developments and advancements of the digital PCR technology are promising to aid in the accurate quantification and characterization of the persistent HIV reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kobus Bosman
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Monique Nijhuis
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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22
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Martinez-Picado J, Zurakowski R, Buzón MJ, Stevenson M. Episomal HIV-1 DNA and its relationship to other markers of HIV-1 persistence. Retrovirology 2018; 15:15. [PMID: 29378611 PMCID: PMC5789633 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0398-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcription of HIV-1 results in the generation of a linear cDNA that serves as the precursor to the integrated provirus. Other classes of extrachromosomal viral cDNA molecules can be found in acutely infected cells including the 1-LTR and 2-LTR circles of viral DNA, also referred as episomal HIV-1 DNA. Circulating CD4+ T-cells of treatment-naïve individuals contain significant levels of unintegrated forms of HIV-1 DNA. However, the importance of episomal HIV-1 DNA in the study of viral persistence during antiviral therapy (ART) is debatable. 2-LTR circles are preferentially observed in the effector memory CD4+ T cell subset of long-term treated subjects. Treatment intensification of standard regimens has been used to determine if more potent ART can impact viral reservoir activity. Adding a potent antiretroviral drug to a stable triple-drug regimen has no measurable impact on plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, suggesting that ongoing cycles of HIV-1 replication are not a major mechanism driving persistent plasma viremia during triple-drug ART. However, in randomized clinical trials of HIV-1-infected adults on apparently effective ART, the addition of an integrase inhibitor (raltegravir) to stable regimens resulted in a transient increase in 2-LTR circles in some patients, suggesting a pre-intensification steady-state in which the processes of virion generation and de novo infection were occurring. Mathematical modeling of 2-LTR production during integrase inhibitor intensification suggests the coexistence, at different levels, of ongoing de novo infection and de novo replication mechanisms, specifically in inflamed lymphoid drug sanctuaries. Most reports looking into potential changes in 2-LTR circles in interventional clinical studies have simultaneously assessed other potential surrogate markers of viral persistence. Transient increases in 2-LTR circles have been correlated to decreases in CD8+ T-cell activation, transient CD45RA−CD4+ T-cell redistribution, and decreases in the hypercoagulation biomarker D-dimer in ART-intensified individuals. It is difficult, however, to establish a systematic association because the level of correlation with different types of markers differs significantly among studies. In conclusion, despite suppressive ART, a steady-state of de novo infection may persist in some infected individuals and that this may drive immune activation and inflammation changes reflecting residual viral reservoir activity during otherwise apparently suppressive ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martinez-Picado
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra. de Canyet s/n, Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Spain. .,University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain. .,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ryan Zurakowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - María José Buzón
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Stevenson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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23
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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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24
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Dunay GA, Solomatina A, Kummer S, Hüfner A, Bialek JK, Eberhard JM, Tolosa E, Hauber J, Schulze Zur Wiesch J. Assessment of the HIV-1 reservoir in CD4+ regulatory T cells by a Droplet Digital PCR based approach. Virus Res 2017; 240:107-111. [PMID: 28720421 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The relative contribution of regulatory T cells (Treg) as reservoir of HIV-1 in patients on chronic antiretroviral therapy is unclear to date. The aim of the current study was to assess the total HIV DNA burden and replication competent viral reservoir in Treg in comparison to central and effector memory cells (Tcm and Tem). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 10 HIV patients treated with antiretroviral therapy. Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to quantify total HIV DNA loads in FACS-sorted CD4+ Treg (CD25+CD127lo) as compared to Tcm (CD45RO+CCR7+) and Tem (CD45RO+CCR7-). In contrast to earlier reports, no significant difference was found in total HIV DNA burden associated with Treg when compared to Tem and Tcm cells. In a subset of patients, quantitative viral outgrowth assays were also performed, using novel ddPCR based readout to quantify frequencies of Treg harboring replication competent virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Artúr Dunay
- Heinrich Pette Institute - Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anastasia Solomatina
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg, Germany
| | - Silke Kummer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anja Hüfner
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia Katharina Bialek
- Heinrich Pette Institute - Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johanna Maria Eberhard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eva Tolosa
- Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Hauber
- Heinrich Pette Institute - Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg, Germany.
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25
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Morón-López S, Puertas MC, Gálvez C, Navarro J, Carrasco A, Esteve M, Manyé J, Crespo M, Salgado M, Martinez-Picado J. Sensitive quantification of the HIV-1 reservoir in gut-associated lymphoid tissue. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175899. [PMID: 28414780 PMCID: PMC5393620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The implementation of successful strategies to achieve an HIV cure has become a priority in HIV research. However, the current location and size of HIV reservoirs is still unknown since there are limited tools to evaluate HIV latency in viral sanctuaries such as gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). As reported in the so called “Boston Patients”, despite undetectable levels of proviral HIV-1 DNA in blood and GALT, viral rebound happens in just few months after ART interruption. This fact might imply that current methods are not sensitive enough to detect residual reservoirs. Showing that, it is imperative to improve the detection and quantification of HIV-1 reservoir in tissue samples. Herein, we propose a novel non-enzymatic protocol for purification of Lamina Propria Leukocytes (LPL) from gut biopsies combined to viral HIV DNA (vDNA) quantification by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of viral reservoir measurements (LPL-vDNA assay). Methods Endoscopic ileum biopsies were sampled from 12 HIV-1-infected cART-suppressed subjects. We performed a DTT/EDTA-based treatment for epithelial layer removal followed by non-enzymatic disruption of the tissue to obtain lamina propria cell suspension (LP). CD45+ cells were subsequently purified by flow sorting and vDNA was determined by ddPCR. Results vDNA quantification levels were significantly higher in purified LPLs (CD45+) than in bulk LPs (p<0.01). The levels of vDNA were higher in ileum samples than in concurrent PBMC from the same individuals (p = 0.002). As a result of the increased sensitivity of this purification method, the Poisson 95% confidence intervals of the vDNA quantification data from LPLs were narrower than that from bulk LPs. Of note, vDNA was unambiguously quantified above the detection limit in 100% of LPL samples, while only in 58% of bulk LPs. Conclusion We propose an innovative combined protocol for a more sensitive detection of the HIV reservoir in gut-associated viral sanctuaries, which might be used to evaluate any proposed eradication strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Morón-López
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, Institut d’Investigació en Cièncias de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Maria C. Puertas
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, Institut d’Investigació en Cièncias de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Cristina Gálvez
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, Institut d’Investigació en Cièncias de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Jordi Navarro
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Carrasco
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari Mutua de Terrassa, University of Barcelona, Research Foundation Mutua de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas [CIBERehd], Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Esteve
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari Mutua de Terrassa, University of Barcelona, Research Foundation Mutua de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas [CIBERehd], Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Manyé
- CIBEREHD (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades hepáticas y digestivas), IBD Unit, Germans Trias i Pujol research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Manel Crespo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Salgado
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, Institut d’Investigació en Cièncias de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
- * E-mail: (JMP); (MS)
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, Institut d’Investigació en Cièncias de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
- Universitat de Vic–Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (JMP); (MS)
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Ruggiero A, Malatinkova E, Rutsaert S, Paxton WA, Vandekerckhove L, De Spiegelaere W. Utility of integrated HIV-1 DNA quantification in cure studies. Future Virol 2017. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2016-0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Numerous HIV-1 curative strategies have been proposed to eradicate the virus reservoir pool that remains integrated within target cells, despite successful antiretroviral therapy. To test the impact of such interventions on this reservoir, a universal marker of persistence is needed. Quantifying integrated HIV-1 DNA load has been proposed as a strong virological marker. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the most commonly used assays to quantify integrated HIV-1 DNA and applications in relevant clinical studies produced over the last 20 years with a major focus on the recent literature. We discuss the potential for using this marker of virological persistence and the technical limitations that need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Ruggiero
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology (CIMI), Institute of Infection & Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Eva Malatinkova
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - William A Paxton
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology (CIMI), Institute of Infection & Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
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27
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Trypsteen W, Kiselinova M, Vandekerckhove L, De Spiegelaere W. Diagnostic utility of droplet digital PCR for HIV reservoir quantification. J Virus Erad 2016; 2:162-9. [PMID: 27482456 PMCID: PMC4967968] [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: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is implemented in many molecular laboratories worldwide for the quantification of viral nucleic acids. However, over the last two decades, there has been renewed interest in the concept of digital PCR (dPCR) as this platform offers direct quantification without the need for standard curves, a simplified workflow and the possibility to extend the current detection limit. These benefits are of great interest in terms of the quantification of low viral levels in HIV reservoir research because changes in the dynamics of residual HIV reservoirs will be important to monitor HIV cure efforts. Here, we have implemented a systematic literature screening and text mining approach to map the use of droplet dPCR (ddPCR) in the context of HIV quantification. In addition, several technical aspects of ddPCR were compared with qPCR: accuracy, sensitivity, precision and reproducibility, to determine its diagnostic utility. We have observed that ddPCR was used in different body compartments in multiple HIV-1 and HIV-2 assays, with the majority of reported assays focusing on HIV-1 DNA-based applications (i.e. total HIV DNA). Furthermore, ddPCR showed a higher accuracy, precision and reproducibility, but similar sensitivity when compared to qPCR due to reported false positive droplets in the negative template controls with a need for standardised data analysis (i.e. threshold determination). In the context of a low level of detection and HIV reservoir diagnostics, ddPCR can offer a valid alternative to qPCR-based assays but before this platform can be clinically accredited, some remaining issues need to be resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,
Ghent University,
Belgium
| | - Maja Kiselinova
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,
Ghent University,
Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,
Ghent University,
Belgium,Corresponding author: Linos Vandekerckhove,
HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,
De Pintelaan 185, Medical Research Building 2,
Ghent University,
9000Ghent,
Belgium
| | - Ward De Spiegelaere
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,
Ghent University,
Belgium
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Trypsteen W, Kiselinova M, Vandekerckhove L, De Spiegelaere W. Diagnostic utility of droplet digital PCR for HIV reservoir quantification. J Virus Erad 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2055-6640(20)30460-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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29
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Vranckx LS, Demeulemeester J, Saleh S, Boll A, Vansant G, Schrijvers R, Weydert C, Battivelli E, Verdin E, Cereseto A, Christ F, Gijsbers R, Debyser Z. LEDGIN-mediated Inhibition of Integrase-LEDGF/p75 Interaction Reduces Reactivation of Residual Latent HIV. EBioMedicine 2016; 8:248-264. [PMID: 27428435 PMCID: PMC4919729 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistence of latent, replication-competent Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus is the main impediment towards a cure for HIV/AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Therefore, different therapeutic strategies to eliminate the viral reservoirs are currently being explored. We here propose a novel strategy to reduce the replicating HIV reservoir during primary HIV infection by means of drug-induced retargeting of HIV integration. A novel class of integration inhibitors, referred to as LEDGINs, inhibit the interaction between HIV integrase and the LEDGF/p75 host cofactor, the main determinant of lentiviral integration site selection. We show for the first time that LEDGF/p75 depletion hampers HIV-1 reactivation in cell culture. Next we demonstrate that LEDGINs relocate and retarget HIV integration resulting in a HIV reservoir that is refractory to reactivation by different latency-reversing agents. Taken together, these results support the potential of integrase inhibitors that modulate integration site targeting to reduce the likeliness of viral rebound. LEDGF/p75 depletion hampers HIV reactivation in cell culture. LEDGINs relocate and retarget authentic HIV integration. LEDGIN treatment results in quiescent residual HIV provirus which is less susceptible to reactivation. LEDGIN treatment during primary HIV infection may lead to an HIV remission.
Different strategies to cure HIV infection are being explored. Although complete eradication of the HIV provirus is the ultimate goal, disease remission allowing treatment interruption without viral rebound would constitute a significant leap forward. HIV integration site selection is orchestrated by LEDGF/p75. The advent of LEDGINs, that block the interaction between integrase and LEDGF/p75, allowed us to examine the hypothesis that interference with HIV integration site selection would yield integration sites that are less optimal for productive infection. Here we provide evidence in cell culture that LEDGIN treatment during acute HIV infection yields an HIV reservoir refractory to reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenard S Vranckx
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Jonas Demeulemeester
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Suha Saleh
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Annegret Boll
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, 38123 Trento, Italy.
| | - Gerlinde Vansant
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Rik Schrijvers
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium; Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Caroline Weydert
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Emilie Battivelli
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California, 1650 Owens St., 94158 San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Eric Verdin
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California, 1650 Owens St., 94158 San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Anna Cereseto
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via delle Regole 101, 38123 Trento, Italy.
| | - Frauke Christ
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Rik Gijsbers
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
| | - Zeger Debyser
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 33 VTCB +5, 3000 Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.
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Integrated and Total HIV-1 DNA Predict Ex Vivo Viral Outgrowth. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005472. [PMID: 26938995 PMCID: PMC4777389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistence of a reservoir of latently infected CD4 T cells remains one of the major obstacles to cure HIV. Numerous strategies are being explored to eliminate this reservoir. To translate these efforts into clinical trials, there is a strong need for validated biomarkers that can monitor the reservoir over time in vivo. A comprehensive study was designed to evaluate and compare potential HIV-1 reservoir biomarkers. A cohort of 25 patients, treated with suppressive antiretroviral therapy was sampled at three time points, with median of 2.5 years (IQR: 2.4–2.6) between time point 1 and 2; and median of 31 days (IQR: 28–36) between time point 2 and 3. Patients were median of 6 years (IQR: 3–12) on ART, and plasma viral load (<50 copies/ml) was suppressed for median of 4 years (IQR: 2–8). Total HIV-1 DNA, unspliced (us) and multiply spliced HIV-1 RNA, and 2LTR circles were quantified by digital PCR in peripheral blood, at 3 time points. At the second time point, a viral outgrowth assay (VOA) was performed, and integrated HIV-1 DNA and relative mRNA expression levels of HIV-1 restriction factors were quantified. No significant change was found for long- and short-term dynamics of all HIV-1 markers tested in peripheral blood. Integrated HIV-1 DNA was associated with total HIV-1 DNA (p<0.001, R² = 0.85), us HIV-1 RNA (p = 0.029, R² = 0.40), and VOA (p = 0.041, R2 = 0.44). Replication-competent virus was detected in 80% of patients by the VOA and it correlated with total HIV-1 DNA (p = 0.039, R² = 0.54). The mean quantification difference between Alu-PCR and VOA was 2.88 log10, and 2.23 log10 between total HIV-1 DNA and VOA. The levels of usHIV-1 RNA were inversely correlated with mRNA levels of several HIV-1 restriction factors (TRIM5α, SAMHD1, MX2, SLFN11, pSIP1). Our study reveals important correlations between the viral outgrowth and total and integrated HIV-1 DNA measures, suggesting that the total pool of HIV-1 DNA may predict the size of the replication-competent virus in ART suppressed patients. Current HIV-1 research aims to find a cure for HIV-1, either by pursuing viral eradication or by attempting to attain an immune-mediated functional cure. For the purpose of interpreting the findings of these eradication strategies, a validated representative biomarker of the replication-competent latent HIV-1 reservoir is urgently needed. In this study we have evaluated several cell-associated HIV-1 persistence markers, and we have measured replication-competent reservoir using the viral outgrowth assay (VOA). The results show a correlation between the pool of HIV-1 DNA and the replication-competent reservoir. Our data show that the pool of HIV-1 DNA (total or integrated HIV-1 DNA) can predict the amount of replication-competent latent HIV-1 in patients receiving treatment. Hence, PCR based assays quantifying integrated and/or total HIV-1 DNA can play an important role in future studies aiming at HIV-1 eradication.
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Ananworanich J, Sacdalan CP, Pinyakorn S, Chomont N, Souza M, Luekasemsuk T, Schuetz A, Krebs SJ, Dewar R, Jagodzinski L, Ubolyam S, Trichavaroj R, Tovanabutra S, Spudich S, Valcour V, Sereti I, Michael N, Robb M, Phanuphak P, Kim JH, Phanuphak N. Virological and immunological characteristics of HIV-infected individuals at the earliest stage of infection. J Virus Erad 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2055-6640(20)30688-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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