Expression of human immunodeficiency virus coreceptors CXC chemokine receptor 4 and CC chemokine receptor 5 on monocytes is down-regulated during human endotoxemia.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in monocytes in vitro. To test the hypothesis that an LPS effect on CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), known coreceptors for HIV, contributes to this effect, 8 healthy men were intravenously injected with Escherichia coli LPS (4 ng/kg), and monocyte CXCR4 and CCR5 expression was monitored by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. LPS induced a decrease in the fraction of peripheral blood monocytes expressing CXCR4 and CCR5, reaching a nadir after 2 h (both P<.001 vs. baseline). In whole blood in vitro, not only LPS but also lipoarabinomannan (a cell wall component of Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and lipoteichoic acid (a cell wall component of Staphylococcus aureus) down-regulated the expression of CXCR4 and CCR5 on monocytes (all P<.05). Exposure of monocytes to (myco)bacterial agents may render them relatively resistant to infection with HIV by an effect on HIV coreceptors.