BACKGROUND: Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) infection is not rare among injection drug users with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and may exert a protective role in the progression of HIV disease. METHODS: Immunological and virological parameters were compared in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfected patients and a control group of HIV-monoinfected subjects. All individuals were antiretroviral therapy naive. HIV-specific CD8+ T cell levels were measured using an interferon-gamma assay in response to 125 optimally defined HIV peptides divided into 5 pools. Immune activation was evaluated by measuring levels of CD38 in different CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. In a subgroup of patients, the production of CCL4 in parallel with interferon-gamma was assessed in response to Gag peptides. RESULTS: Lower plasma HIV-RNA levels were found in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfected patients than in HIV-monoinfected patients, despite the 2 groups having similar CD4+ T cell counts. Coinfected patients also had significantly lower levels of CD38 expression in total CD8+ T cells and in its naive subset. CD8+ T cell levels specific for each pool of peptides were similar in both groups, but cells mainly contributing to HIV Gag-specific responses in coinfected patients were CCL4 positive and interferon-gamma negative, whereas for HIV-monoinfected subjects, the response was dominated by CCL4-positive and interferon-gamma-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: HTLV-2 coinfection may exert a protective role on HIV disease progression by lowering HIV replication and immune activation. A predominance of CCL4 single positive HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfected patients could explain this effect.
BACKGROUND:Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) infection is not rare among injection drug users with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and may exert a protective role in the progression of HIV disease. METHODS: Immunological and virological parameters were compared in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfectedpatients and a control group of HIV-monoinfected subjects. All individuals were antiretroviral therapy naive. HIV-specific CD8+ T cell levels were measured using an interferon-gamma assay in response to 125 optimally defined HIV peptides divided into 5 pools. Immune activation was evaluated by measuring levels of CD38 in different CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. In a subgroup of patients, the production of CCL4 in parallel with interferon-gamma was assessed in response to Gag peptides. RESULTS: Lower plasma HIV-RNA levels were found in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfectedpatients than in HIV-monoinfected patients, despite the 2 groups having similar CD4+ T cell counts. Coinfectedpatients also had significantly lower levels of CD38 expression in total CD8+ T cells and in its naive subset. CD8+ T cell levels specific for each pool of peptides were similar in both groups, but cells mainly contributing to HIVGag-specific responses in coinfectedpatients were CCL4 positive and interferon-gamma negative, whereas for HIV-monoinfected subjects, the response was dominated by CCL4-positive and interferon-gamma-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: HTLV-2 coinfection may exert a protective role on HIV disease progression by lowering HIV replication and immune activation. A predominance of CCL4 single positive HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in HIV-HTLV-2-coinfectedpatients could explain this effect.
Authors: Shari N Gordon; Anna R Weissman; Valentina Cecchinato; Claudio Fenizia; Zhong-Min Ma; Tzong-Hae Lee; Lorenzo Zaffiri; Vibeke Andresen; Robyn Washington Parks; Kathryn S Jones; Jean Michel Heraud; Maria Grazia Ferrari; Hye Kyung Chung; David Venzon; Renaud Mahieux; Edward L Murphy; Steven Jacobson; Christopher J Miller; Francis W Ruscetti; Genoveffa Franchini Journal: J Virol Date: 2010-01-13 Impact factor: 5.103
Authors: Elisabetta Pilotti; Maria V Bianchi; Andrea De Maria; Federica Bozzano; Maria G Romanelli; Umberto Bertazzoni; Claudio Casoli Journal: Front Microbiol Date: 2013-12-23 Impact factor: 5.640