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Marques de Menezes EG, Bowler SA, Shikuma CM, Ndhlovu LC, Norris PJ. Circulating plasma-derived extracellular vesicles expressing bone and kidney markers are associated with neurocognitive impairment in people living with HIV. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1383227. [PMID: 38725641 PMCID: PMC11079819 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1383227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the life expectancy of people with HIV (PWH), the prevalence of milder forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persist, and it is associated with systemic and neuro-inflammatory processes that could impact other organ systems. However, the complex signaling mechanisms between the bone-kidney systems and the brain in HAND remain unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a potential role in inter-organ communication and are involved in regulating cell activity in distant tissues. In this study, we examined whether levels of EVs from bone-and kidney-related cells associate with cognitive dysfunction and explored the relationship between kidney-bone EV axis in PWH experiencing cognitive deficits. Methods EV subtypes were characterized in plasma from 61 PWH with either cognitive impairment (CI, n = 53) or normal cognition (NC, n = 8) based on the American Academy of Neurology criteria for HIV-associated dementia (HAD, n = 11), minor cognitive motor disorder (MCMD, n = 25) or asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI, n = 17) by spectral flow cytometry. EVs were profiled with markers reflecting bone and kidney cell origin. A support vector machine learning-based model was employed for analyses of EV phenotypes to predict the cognitive dysfunction. Results Plasma-EVs expressing osteocalcin, sclerostin, and nephrin were significantly higher in the cognitive impairment group compared to the normal cognition group. EVs bearing kidney cell markers correlated significantly with bone-derived EVs. A machine learning-based model, comprised of osteocalcin+, nephrin+, and CD24+ EVs predicted cognitive impairment in PWH on ART. Conclusion Our study reveals that neurocognitive impairment in PWH is associated with increased levels of plasma EVs enriched with the bone markers osteocalcin and sclerostin and the kidney marker nephrin, suggesting that these EV subtypes may be novel candidate biomarkers for disease-spanning neurocognitive dysfunction. Moreover, the relationship between bone-derived EVs with kidney-derived EVs may suggest their role in mediating inter-organ crosstalk in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika G. Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Scott A. Bowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cecilia M. Shikuma
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
- Department of Tropical Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Philip J. Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Johnston CD, de Menezes EGM, Bowler S, Siegler EL, Friday C, Norris PJ, Rice MC, Choi ME, Glesby MJ, Ndhlovu LC. Correction to: Plasma extracellular vesicles and cell-free mitochondrial DNA are associated with cognitive dysfunction in treated older adults with HIV. J Neurovirol 2023; 29:225. [PMID: 37005979 PMCID: PMC10905427 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-023-01128-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie D Johnston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
| | - Scott Bowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Eugenia L Siegler
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Courtney Friday
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
| | - Michelle C Rice
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mary E Choi
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Marshall J Glesby
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Lishomwa C Ndhlovu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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Johnston CD, de Menezes EGM, Bowler S, Siegler EL, Friday C, Norris PJ, Rice MC, Choi ME, Glesby MJ, Ndhlovu LC. Plasma extracellular vesicles and cell-free mitochondrial DNA are associated with cognitive dysfunction in treated older adults with HIV. J Neurovirol 2023; 29:218-224. [PMID: 36934200 PMCID: PMC10893825 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-023-01122-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles with a role in intercellular communication. Cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) has been associated with cognitive dysfunction in people with HIV (PWH). We conducted a nested case-control study to test the hypothesis that plasma EVs are associated with cf-mtDNA and cognitive dysfunction in older PWH. A machine learning-based model identified total EVs, including select EV subpopulations, as well as urine cf-mtDNA and 4-meter walk time carry power to predict the neurocognitive impairment. These features resulted in an AUC-ROC of 0.845 + / - 0.109 (0.615, 1.00).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie D Johnston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, NY, 10065, New York, USA.
| | - Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Scott Bowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, NY, 10065, New York, USA
| | - Eugenia L Siegler
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Courtney Friday
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, NY, 10065, New York, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Michelle C Rice
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mary E Choi
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Marshall J Glesby
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, NY, 10065, New York, USA
| | - Lishomwa C Ndhlovu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Tower, F2331, NY, 10065, New York, USA
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de Menezes EGM, Liu JS, Bowler SA, Giron LB, D’Antoni ML, Shikuma CM, Abdel-Mohsen M, Ndhlovu LC, Norris PJ. Circulating brain-derived extracellular vesicles expressing neuroinflammatory markers are associated with HIV-related neurocognitive impairment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1033712. [PMID: 36601110 PMCID: PMC9806169 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1033712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurocognitive impairment remains prevalent in people with HIV (PWH) despite long term virological suppression by antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens. Systemic and neuro-inflammatory processes are suggested to contribute to the complex pathology leading to cognitive impairment in this population, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a central role in intracellular communication and have emerged as key modulators of immunological and inflammatory responses. In this report, we examined the impact of EVs in PWH experiencing cognitive deficits to determine their relevance in HIV associated neuropathology. Methods EV phenotypes were measured in plasma samples from 108 PWH with either cognitive impairment (CI, n=92) or normal cognition (NC, n=16) by flow cytometry. Matched cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-derived EVs were similarly profiled from a subgroup of 84 individuals who underwent a lumbar puncture. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assayed by flow cytometry to measure monocyte frequencies in a subset of 32 individuals. Results Plasma-EVs expressing CD14, CD16, CD192, C195, and GFAP were significantly higher in HIV-infected individuals with cognitive impairment compared to individuals with normal cognition. Increased CSF-EVs expressing GFAP and CD200 were found in the cognitive impairment group compared to the normal cognition group. Frequencies of patrolling monocytes correlated with plasma-EVs expressing CD14, CD66b, MCSF, MAP2, and GFAP. Frequencies of CD195 expression on monocytes correlated positively with plasma-EVs expressing CD41a, CD62P, and CD63. Expression of CD163 on monocytes correlated positively with CSF-EVs expressing GFAP and CD200. Finally, the expression of CD192 on total monocytes correlated with CSF-EVs expressing CD200, CD62P, and CD63. Conclusions EVs expressing monocyte activation and neuronal markers associated with HIV associated cognitive impairment, suggesting that distinct EV subsets may serve as novel biomarkers of neuronal injury in HIV infection. Further circulating platelet EV levels were linked to monocyte activation indicating a potential novel interaction in the pathogenesis of HIV-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika G. Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Erika G. Marques de Menezes,
| | - Jocelyn S. Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Scott A. Bowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Michelle L. D’Antoni
- Department of Tropical Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Cecilia M. Shikuma
- Hawaii Center for AIDS, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | | | - Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Tropical Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States,Hawaii Center for AIDS, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Philip J. Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Bonilla H, Hampton D, Marques de Menezes EG, Deng X, Montoya JG, Anderson J, Norris PJ. Comparative Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles in Patients with Severe and Mild Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Immunol 2022; 13:841910. [PMID: 35309313 PMCID: PMC8931328 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.841910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious disease whose cause has yet to be identified. Objective markers of the disease are also not well understood and would serve as important tools in diagnosis and management. One potential biomarker or transmitter of immune signals in ME/CFS is the extracellular vesicle (EV) compartment. These small, membrane bound particles have been shown to play a key role in intercellular signaling. Our laboratory has focused on methods of detection of EVS in clinical samples. In this study we explored whether the prevalence of EVs in the plasma of participants with mild or severe ME/CFS differed from the plasma of healthy control participants. By staining for multiple cell surface molecules, plasma EVs could be fingerprinted as to their cell of origin. Our study revealed a significant correlation between severe ME/CSF and levels of EVs bearing the B cell marker CD19 and the platelet marker CD41a, though these changes were not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. These findings point to potential dysregulation of B cell and platelet activation or homeostasis in ME/CFS, which warrants validation in a replication cohort and further exploration of potential mechanisms underlying the association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Bonilla
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Hector Bonilla,
| | - Dylan Hampton
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - José G. Montoya
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Jill Anderson
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Philip J. Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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George AF, Jang KS, Nyegaard M, Neidleman J, Spitzer TL, Xie G, Chen JC, Herzig E, Laustsen A, Marques de Menezes EG, Houshdaran S, Pilcher CD, Norris PJ, Jakobsen MR, Greene WC, Giudice LC, Roan NR. Seminal plasma promotes decidualization of endometrial stromal fibroblasts in vitro from women with and without inflammatory disorders in a manner dependent on interleukin-11 signaling. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:617-640. [PMID: 32219408 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Do seminal plasma (SP) and its constituents affect the decidualization capacity and transcriptome of human primary endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSFs)? SUMMARY ANSWER SP promotes decidualization of eSFs from women with and without inflammatory disorders (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis) in a manner that is not mediated through semen amyloids and that is associated with a potent transcriptional response, including the induction of interleukin (IL)-11, a cytokine important for SP-induced decidualization. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Clinical studies have suggested that SP can promote implantation, and studies in vitro have demonstrated that SP can promote decidualization, a steroid hormone-driven program of eSF differentiation that is essential for embryo implantation and that is compromised in women with the inflammatory disorders PCOS and endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a cross-sectional study involving samples treated with vehicle alone versus treatment with SP or SP constituents. SP was tested for the ability to promote decidualization in vitro in eSFs from women with or without PCOS or endometriosis (n = 9). The role of semen amyloids and fractionated SP in mediating this effect and in eliciting transcriptional changes in eSFs was then studied. Finally, the role of IL-11, a cytokine with a key role in implantation and decidualization, was assessed as a mediator of the SP-facilitated decidualization. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS eSFs and endometrial epithelial cells (eECs) were isolated from endometrial biopsies from women of reproductive age undergoing benign gynecologic procedures and maintained in vitro. Assays were conducted to assess whether the treatment of eSFs with SP or SP constituents affects the rate and extent of decidualization in women with and without inflammatory disorders. To characterize the response of the endometrium to SP and SP constituents, RNA was isolated from treated eSFs or eECs and analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Secreted factors in conditioned media from treated cells were analyzed by Luminex and ELISA. The role of IL-11 in SP-induced decidualization was assessed through Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas-9-mediated knockout experiments in primary eSFs. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE SP promoted decidualization both in the absence and presence of steroid hormones (P < 0.05 versus vehicle) in a manner that required seminal proteins. Semen amyloids did not promote decidualization and induced weak transcriptomic and secretomic responses in eSFs. In contrast, fractionated SP enriched for seminal microvesicles (MVs) promoted decidualization. IL-11 was one of the most potently SP-induced genes in eSFs and was important for SP-facilitated decidualization. LARGE SCALE DATA RNAseq data were deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus repository under series accession number GSE135640. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study is limited to in vitro analyses. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results support the notion that SP promotes decidualization, including within eSFs from women with inflammatory disorders. Despite the general ability of amyloids to induce cytokines known to be important for implantation, semen amyloids poorly signaled to eSFs and did not promote their decidualization. In contrast, fractionated SP enriched for MVs promoted decidualization and induced a transcriptional response in eSFs that overlapped with that of SP. Our results suggest that SP constituents, possibly those associated with MVs, can promote decidualization of eSFs in an IL-11-dependent manner in preparation for implantation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This project was supported by NIH (R21AI116252, R21AI122821 and R01AI127219) to N.R.R. and (P50HD055764) to L.C.G. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley F George
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karen S Jang
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mette Nyegaard
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jason Neidleman
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trimble L Spitzer
- Lt Col, USAF; Women's Health Clinic, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, USA
| | - Guorui Xie
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Eytan Herzig
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anders Laustsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sahar Houshdaran
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher D Pilcher
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Warner C Greene
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Linda C Giudice
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nadia R Roan
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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7
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Marques de Menezes EG, Jang K, George AF, Nyegaard M, Neidleman J, Inglis HC, Danesh A, Deng X, Afshari A, Kim YH, Billaud JN, Marson K, Pilcher CD, Pillai SK, Norris PJ, Roan NR. Seminal Plasma-Derived Extracellular-Vesicle Fractions from HIV-Infected Men Exhibit Unique MicroRNA Signatures and Induce a Proinflammatory Response in Cells Isolated from the Female Reproductive Tract. J Virol 2020; 94:e00525-20. [PMID: 32434889 PMCID: PMC7394899 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00525-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The continuing spread of HIV/AIDS is predominantly fueled by sexual exposure to HIV-contaminated semen. Seminal plasma (SP), the liquid portion of semen, harbors a variety of factors that may favor HIV transmission by facilitating viral entry into host cells, eliciting the production of proinflammatory cytokines, and enhancing the translocation of HIV across the genital epithelium. One important and abundant class of factors in SP is extracellular vesicles (EVs), which, in general, are important intercellular signal transducers. Although numerous studies have characterized blood plasma-derived EVs from both uninfected and HIV-infected individuals, little is known about the properties of EVs from the semen of HIV-infected individuals. We report here that fractionated SP enriched for EVs from HIV-infected men induces potent transcriptional responses in epithelial and stromal cells that interface with the luminal contents of the female reproductive tract. Semen EV fractions from acutely infected individuals induced a more proinflammatory signature than those from uninfected individuals. This was not associated with any observable differences in the surface phenotypes of the vesicles. However, microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling analysis revealed that EV fractions from infected individuals exhibit a broader and more diverse profile than those from uninfected individuals. Taken together, our data suggest that SP EVs from HIV-infected individuals exhibit unique miRNA signatures and exert potent proinflammatory transcriptional changes in cells of the female reproductive tract, which may facilitate HIV transmission.IMPORTANCE Seminal plasma (SP), the major vehicle for HIV, can modulate HIV transmission risk through a variety of mechanisms. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are extremely abundant in semen, and because they play a key role in intercellular communication pathways and immune regulation, they may impact the likelihood of HIV transmission. However, little is known about the properties and signaling effects of SP-derived EVs in the context of HIV transmission. Here, we conduct a phenotypic, transcriptomic, and functional characterization of SP and SP-derived EVs from uninfected and HIV-infected men. We find that both SP and its associated EVs elicit potent proinflammatory transcriptional responses in cells that line the genital tract. EVs from HIV-infected men exhibit a more diverse repertoire of miRNAs than EVs from uninfected men. Our findings suggest that EVs from the semen of HIV-infected men may significantly impact the likelihood of HIV transmission through multiple mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika G Marques de Menezes
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Karen Jang
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ashley F George
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mette Nyegaard
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jason Neidleman
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Ali Danesh
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Young H Kim
- Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, California, USA
| | | | - Kara Marson
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christopher D Pilcher
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Satish K Pillai
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nadia R Roan
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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