Low plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 2 viral load is independent of proviral load: low virus production in vivo

Levels of virus in the plasma are closely related to the pathogenicity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). HIV-2 is much less pathogenic than HIV-1, and infection with HIV-2 leads to significantly lower plasma viral load. To identify the source of this difference, we measured both viral RNA and proviral DNA in matched samples from 34 HIV-2-infected individuals. Nearly half had undetectable viral RNA loads (<100 copies/ml), but levels of proviral DNA were relatively high and confirmed that quantities of provirus in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection were similar. Overall, HIV-2 proviral DNA load did not correlate with viral RNA load, and higher viral RNA load was associated with increased production of plasma virus from the proviral template. These results suggest that low viral load in HIV-2 infection is due to decreased rates of viral production, rather than differences in target cell infectivity.     

Viral DNA and mRNA expression correlate with the stage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection in humans: evidence for viral replication in all stages of HIV disease.

Studies of cultivatable human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from plasma samples from infected patients have shown a correspondence between increasing viral burden and disease progression, but these measurements are selective and thus nonrepresentative of the in vivo viral load. Quantitation of proviral DNA sequences by the polymerase chain reaction in purified CD4+ T cells has shown a similar relationship but does not provide a measure of viral gene expression. We have studied viral DNA, genomic RNA, and spliced mRNA expression of HIV-1 in infected patients with a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Viral RNA expression is detected in all stages of infection. These data show that the natural history of HIV infection is associated with a shift in the balance of viral expression favoring the production of genomic RNA without a preceding period of true viral latency.     

Human immunodeficiency virus infection of cells arrested in the cell cycle.

Cell proliferation is necessary for proviral integration and productive infection of most retroviruses. Nevertheless, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can infect non-dividing macrophages. This ability to grow in non-dividing cells is not specific to macrophages because, as we show here, CD4+ HeLa cells arrested at stage G2 of the cell cycle can be infected by HIV-1. Proliferation is necessary for these same cells to be infected by a murine retrovirus, MuLV. HIV-1 integrates into the arrested cell DNA and produces viral RNA and protein in a pattern similar to that in normal cells. In addition, our data suggest that the ability to infect non-dividing cells is due to one of the HIV-1 core virion proteins. HIV infection of non-dividing cells distinguishes lentiviruses from other retroviruses and is likely to be important in the natural history of HIV infection.     

HIV-1基因表达的转录调控

高效抗逆转录病毒治疗（HAART）可以有效地抑制人类免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型（HIV-1）的复制及血浆病毒载量,延缓发病进程,改善、提高患者的生活质量和存活时间。但是,一旦停止治疗就会导致血浆病毒血症迅速反弹,HIV-1以原病毒的形式在静息记忆CD4⁺T等细胞中的持续存在是清除HIV-1的一个障碍。HIV-1基因转录的激活与阻抑决定了受感染细胞进入产毒性感染或潜伏感染。本文从原病毒整合位置与转录干扰、细胞转录因子与HIV-1启动子相互作用招募RNA聚合酶起始转录、转录的表观遗传调控和反式激活因子Tat及其相关蛋白促进转录延伸等方面探讨了HIV-1原病毒转录调控机制。     

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection and replication in normal human oral keratinocytes

Recent epidemiologic studies show increasing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission through oral-genital contact. This paper examines the possibility that normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOKs) might be directly infected by HIV or might convey infectious HIV virions to adjacent leukocytes. PCR analysis of proviral DNA constructs showed that NHOKs can be infected by CXCR4-tropic (NL4-3 and ELI) and dualtropic (89.6) strains of HIV-1 to generate a weak but productive infection. CCR5-tropic strain Ba-L sustained minimal viral replication. Antibody inhibition studies showed that infection by CXCR4-tropic viral strains is mediated by the galactosylceramide receptor and the CXCR4 chemokine coreceptor. Coculture studies showed that infectious HIV-1 virions can also be conveyed from NHOKs to activated peripheral blood lymphocytes, suggesting a potential role of oral epithelial cells in the transmission of HIV infection.     

Relationships between the presence of anti-Tat antibody, DNA and RNA viral load

The possible relationships between the intensity of humoral response to full length Tat protein, the amount of proviral DNA reservoir in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and RNA viral load were analyzed in plasma samples obtained from a group of HIV-1 seropositive subjects, who never received any antiretroviral therapy. All HIV-1 patients showed detectable levels of serum IgG to full-length Tat by immunoenzymatic assay. We found a higher percentage of HIV-1 seropositive subjects with low levels of antibody in the presence of barely detectable proviral DNA copies (< or =10 copies/1.5x10(5) PBMCs) and a high anti-Tat antibody response accompanied by variable (from >10(1) to > or =10(3) copies/1.5x10(5) PBMCs) levels of DNA load (p=0.011). Moreover, an inverse relationship between anti-Tat antibody titers and HIV-1 RNA viral load was demonstrated HIV-1 seropositive patients. In HIV-1-infected patients, a strong humoral immune response against HIV-1 transactivating Tat protein, able to down-modulate viral replication in peripheral blood, does not seem to inhibit the number of proviral DNA molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Even though our data strongly confirm the "positive" role of anti-Tat antibody on viral replication, the persistence of significant amount of DNA viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, despite high level of anti Tat antibody, suggests a more cautious approach to HIV-1 Tat-containing vaccines, able to stimulate an immune specific response to transactivating Tat protein sufficient in inhibiting circulating virus, but not completely efficient in decreasing proviral DNA integration.     

检测HIV-1载量的荧光实时定量PCR技术的建立及其应用

准确测定HIV-1的前病毒载量和病毒载量的技术,在感染者预后和艾滋病患者药物治疗效果的评价以及艾滋病的其它研究方面,都具有十分重要的应用价值。以定量的HIV-1DNA和RNA为标准外参照,利用SYBRGreen荧光染料和GeneAmp5700 Sequence Detection System(5700系统),建立了测定HIV-1的前病毒载量和病毒载量的荧光实时定量PCR技术。以病毒感染细胞和培养上清为材料,测定了三种化合物(AZT,GL和WT)对细胞内的前病毒载量和培养上清中的病毒载量的抑制活性,并与合胞体形成抑制方法测定化合物抗病毒活性的结果进行了比较。根据病毒载量、前病毒载量和合胞体形成计算出的三种化合物的治疗指数均依次变小,提出以荧光实时定量PCR技术测定前病毒载量,会在评价药物在体内外根除或减少存在于CD4休止或记忆T淋巴细胞中的HIV-1前病毒方面有特别的价值。     

Live-cell real-time imaging reveals role of mitochondria in cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1

We used live-cell, real-time fluorescence imaging of co-cultures of HIV-1 infected T cells and uninfected target cells to examine the action of mitochondria during cell-to-cell transmission of the virus. We find that mitochondria of HIV infected cells enter uninfected target cells and advance viral spread. We show that human mitochondria serve as viral reservoirs and carriers and that they can move between cells. This was confirmed by our results that purified mitochondria from HIV infected cells are infectious, and that mitochondrial inhibitors block HIV transmission. Viral infection and replication in the target cells were verified by syncytial formation and HIV-1 core protein p24 production. Our results offer new insights into the cellular mechanisms of viral transmission and identify mitochondria as new host targets for viral infection.     

Ex-vivo purging of circulating monocytes results in immunovirologic improvement in partially HAART responder HIV-infected patients

AIDS pathogenesis results from a complex array of immune alterations which include, among others, changes in the pattern of cytokine production. Some monocyte-derived cytokines, like TNFalpha play a major role in HIV pathogenesis. TNFalpha transactivates HIV NF-kB thereby inducing viral replication, potentiates HIV replication in lymphomonocytes TNFalpha is one of the main factors of HIV-induced cachexia and might be involved in HAART-associated lipodystrophy. In addition, monocytes are infectable by HIV in vitro and infected monocytes can be recovered from the blood of HIV infected patients. For these reasons, we tested whether renewal of the pool of circulating monocytes by selective monocyte apheresis may improve the immune reconstitution which follows treatment with highly active anti-retrovirals (HAART). HIV-infected HAART receiving (> 1 year) patients who were either virologically non-responders (HIV-1 RNA >50,000 copies/ml) or immunologically non-responders (CD4 counts < 200) were treated with a novel monocyte apheresis device (G-1 Adacolumn). Plasma HIV viral load, proviral DNA and phenotypic and functional immunological analyses were performed. G-1 apheresis was well tolerated, not accompanied by adverse responses, and followed by clinical improvement. TNFalpha production was suppressed and CD4 T cell counts increased. In one G-1 patient with elevated HIV-1 proviral DNA a significant reduction (from 1,500 to 40 copies/10(5) cells) was observed. Neither immunologic nor virologic parameters were modified in the control patients who received HAART alone. Thus, purging of circulating monocytes by G-1 apheresis has a dramatic suppressive effect on TNFalpha production and is followed by both clinical and immunovirological improvement. G-1 apheresis should be considered in patients in whom HAART is only partially effective.     

检测HIV-1载量的荧光实时定量PCR技术的建立及其应用

准确测定HIV 1的前病毒载量和病毒载量的技术 ,在感染者预后和艾滋病患者药物治疗效果的评价以及艾滋病的其它研究方面 ,都具有十分重要的应用价值。以定量的HIV 1DNA和RNA为标准外参照 ,利用SYBRGreen荧光染料和GeneAmp5 70 0SequenceDetectionSystem (5 70 0系统 ) ,建立了测定HIV 1的前病毒载量和病毒载量的荧光实时定量PCR技术。以病毒感染细胞和培养上清为材料 ,测定了三种化合物 (AZT ,GL和WT)对细胞内的前病毒载量和培养上清中的病毒载量的抑制活性 ,并与合胞体形成抑制方法测定化合物抗病毒活性的结果进行了比较。根据病毒载量、前病毒载量和合胞体形成计算出的三种化合物的治疗指数均依次变小 ,提出以荧光实时定量PCR技术测定前病毒载量 ,会在评价药物在体内外根除或减少存在于CD4休止或记忆T淋巴细胞中的HIV 1前病毒方面有特别的价值。