Interferon-alpha, immune activation and immune dysfunction in treated HIV infection.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Cha L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4232062 | biostudies-other | 2014 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:BackgroundA comprehensive understanding of host factors modulated by the antiviral cytokine interferon-α (IFNα) is imperative for harnessing its beneficial effects while avoiding its detrimental side-effects during HIV infection. Cytokines modulate host glycosylation which plays a critical role in mediating immunological functions. However, the impact of IFNα on host glycosylation has never been characterized.MethodsWe assessed the impact of pegylated IFNα2a on IgG glycome, as well as CD8+ T and NK cell-surface glycomes, of 18 HIV-infected individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. We linked these glycomic signatures to changes in inflammation, CD8+ T and NK cell phenotypes, and HIV DNA.FindingsWe identified significant interactions that support a model in which a) IFNα increases the proportion of pro-inflammatory, bisecting GlcNAc glycans (known to enhance FcγR binding) within the IgG glycome, which in turn b) increases inflammation, which c) leads to poor CD8+ T cell phenotypes and poor IFNα-mediated reduction of HIV DNA. Examining cell-surface glycomes, IFNα increases levels of the immunosuppressive GalNAc-containing glycans (T/Tn antigens) on CD8+ T cells. This induction is associated with lower HIV-gag-specific CD8+ T cell functions. Last, IFNα increases levels of fucose on NK cells. This induction is associated with higher NK functions upon K562 stimulation.InterpretationIFNα causes host glycomic alterations that are known to modulate immunological responses. These alterations are associated with both detrimental and beneficial consequences of IFNα. Manipulating host glycomic interactions may represent a strategy for enhancing the positive effects of IFNα while avoiding its detrimental side-effects.FundingNIH grants R21AI143385, U01AI110434.
| S-EPMC7452630 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundWhile inflammation predicts mortality in treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the prognostic significance of gut barrier dysfunction and phenotypic T-cell markers remains unclear.MethodsWe assessed immunologic predictors of mortality in a case-control study within the Longitudinal Study of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA), using conditional logistic regression. Sixty-four case patients who died within 12 months of treatment-mediated viral suppression were each matched to 2 control individuals (total number of controls, 128) by duration of antiretroviral therapy-mediated viral suppression, nadir CD4(+) T-cell count, age, sex, and prior cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. A similar secondary analysis was conducted in the SCOPE cohort, which had participants with less advanced immunodeficiency.ResultsPlasma gut epithelial barrier integrity markers (intestinal fatty acid binding protein and zonulin-1 levels), soluble CD14 level, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, and D-dimer level all strongly predicted mortality, even after adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count (all P ≤ .001). A higher percentage of CD38(+)HLA-DR(+) cells in the CD8(+) T-cell population was a predictor of mortality before (P = .031) but not after (P = .10) adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count. Frequencies of senescent (defined as CD28(-)CD57(+) cells), exhausted (defined as PD1(+) cells), naive, and CMV-specific T cells did not predict mortality.ConclusionsGut epithelial barrier dysfunction, innate immune activation, inflammation, and coagulation-but not T-cell activation, senescence, and exhaustion-independently predict mortality in individuals with treated HIV infection with a history of AIDS and are viable targets for interventions.
| S-EPMC4192038 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although a signature of increased interferon (IFN-)alpha production is observed in HIV-1 infection, the response of circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) to Toll-like receptor ligand stimulation is substantially impaired. This functional PDC deficit, which we specifically observed in HIV-1 infected individuals with less than 500 CD4+ T cells/µl, is not well understood. We provide evidence that the peripheral IFN-alpha production in HIV-1 infection is actively suppressed by the enhanced interaction of CD40 ligand (CD40L), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, and its receptor CD40, which are both upregulated upon immune activation. Plasma levels of soluble CD40L were significantly higher in untreated HIV-1 infected individuals (n = 52) than in subjects on long-term antiretroviral therapy (n = 62, p<0.03) and in uninfected control donors (n = 16, p<0.001). Concomitantly, cell-associated CD40L and the expression of the receptor CD40 on the PDC were significantly upregulated in HIV-1 infection (p<0.05). Soluble and cell-associated CD40L inhibited the PDC-derived IFN-alpha production by CpG oligodeoxynucleotides dose-dependently. This suppressive effect was observed at much lower, physiological CD40L concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of HIV-1 infected individuals compared to controls (p<0.05). The CpG-induced IFN-alpha production in PBMC of HIV-1 infected donors was directly correlated with PDC and CD4+ T cell counts, and inversely correlated with the viral loads (p<0.001). In HIV-1 infected donors with less than 500 CD4+ T cells/µl, the CpG-induced IFN-alpha production was significantly correlated with the percentage of CD40-expressing PDC and the level of CD40 expression on these cells (p<0.05), whereas CD40L plasma levels played a minor role. In addition, low-dose CD40L contributed to the enhanced production of interleukin 6 and 8 in PBMC of HIV-1 infected donors compared to controls. Our data support the conclusion that the chronic immune activation in HIV-1 infection impairs peripheral PDC innate immune responses at least in part via enhanced CD40:CD40L interactions.
| S-EPMC3309969 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Chronic immune activation, immunosuppression, and T cell exhaustion are hallmarks of HIV infection, yet the mechanisms driving these processes are unclear. Chronic activation can be a driving force in immune exhaustion, and type I interferons (IFN-I) are emerging as critical components underlying ongoing activation in HIV infection. Here, we have tested the effect of blocking IFN-I signaling on T cell responses and virus replication in a murine model of chronic HIV infection. Using HIV-infected humanized mice, we demonstrated that in vivo blockade of IFN-I signaling during chronic HIV infection diminished HIV-driven immune activation, decreased T cell exhaustion marker expression, restored HIV-specific CD8 T cell function, and led to decreased viral replication. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) in combination with IFN-I blockade accelerated viral suppression, further decreased viral loads, and reduced the persistently infected HIV reservoir compared with ART treatment alone. Our data suggest that blocking IFN-I signaling in conjunction with ART treatment can restore immune function and may reduce viral reservoirs during chronic HIV infection, providing validation for IFN-I blockade as a potential therapy for HIV infection.
| S-EPMC5199686 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The innate immune response induced by type I interferons (IFNs) plays a critical role in the establishment of HIV infection. IFNs are induced early in HIV infection and trigger an antiviral defense program by signaling through the IFNα/β receptor (IFNAR), which consists of two subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. Changes in IFNAR expression in HIV target cells, as well as other immune cells, could therefore have important consequences for initial HIV spread. It was previously reported that IFNAR2 expression is increased in peripheral blood CD4+ CXCR4+ T cells of HIV+ patients compared to HIV uninfected controls, suggesting that HIV infection may alter the IFN responsiveness of target cells. However, the earliest immune cells affected by HIV in vivo reside in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). To date, it remains unknown if IFNAR expression is altered in GALT immune cells in the context of HIV infection and exposure to IFNs, including the 12 IFNα subtypes. Here, we analyzed the expression of surface bound and soluble IFNAR2 on Lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) isolated from the GALT of HIV- individuals and in plasma samples of HIV+ patients. IFNAR2 expression varied between different T cells, B cells and natural killer cells, but was not altered following HIV infection. Furthermore, expression of the soluble IFNAR2a isoform was not changed in HIV+ patients compared to healthy donors, nor in LPMCs after HIV-1 infection ex vivo. Even though the 12 human IFNα subtypes trigger different biological responses and vary in their affinity to both receptor subunits, stimulation of LPMCs with different recombinant IFNα subtypes did not result in any significant changes in IFNAR2 surface expression. Our data suggests that potential changes in the IFN responsiveness of mucosal immune cells during HIV infection are unlikely dictated by changes in IFNAR2 expression.
| S-EPMC6959566 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPregnant women with HIV (PWWH) have high postpartum morbidity and mortality from infections like tuberculosis. Immunologic changes during pregnancy and postpartum periods may contribute to these risks, particularly the immunoregulatory kynurenine pathway of tryptophan catabolism, which contributes to both HIV and tuberculosis pathogenesis and increases in the early postpartum period.MethodsWomen with HIV initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Uganda AIDS Rural Treatment Outcomes (UARTO) cohort who were pregnant at enrollment or became pregnant during observation were studied (n = 54). Plasma kynurenine/tryptophan (KT) ratio, soluble CD14 (sCD14), sCD163, sCD27, interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), D-dimer, interleukin-6, and intestinal fatty-acid binding protein levels were assessed through the first year of ART and at 3-month intervals throughout pregnancy and 1 year postpartum. Biomarker changes were assessed with linear mixed models adjusted for ART duration. Hemoglobin concentration changes were used to estimate pregnancy-related changes in plasma volume.ResultsThe median pre-ART CD4 count was 134. D-dimer increased through the third trimester before returning to baseline postpartum, while most other biomarkers declined significantly during pregnancy, beyond what would be expected from pregnancy-associated plasma volume expansion. IP-10 and sCD14 remained suppressed for at least 12 months postpartum. KT ratio was the only biomarker that increased above prepregnancy baseline postpartum (mean + 30%; P < .001) and remained higher than baseline for ≥9 months (P ≤ .045 for all time points).ConclusionsSeveral immune activation markers decline during pregnancy and remain suppressed postpartum, but the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan catabolism increases above baseline for ≥9 months postpartum. The mechanisms underlying postpartum kynurenine pathway activity are incompletely understood but may contribute to increased tuberculosis risk in this setting.
| S-EPMC8214017 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although all 12 subtypes of human interferon alpha (IFN-?) bind the same receptor, recent results have demonstrated that they elicit unique host responses and display distinct efficacies in the control of different viral infections. The IFN-?2 subtype is currently in HIV-1 clinical trials, but it has not consistently reduced viral loads in HIV-1 patients and is not the most effective subtype against HIV-1 in vitro We now demonstrate in humanized mice that, when delivered at the same high clinical dose, the human IFN-?14 subtype has very potent anti-HIV-1 activity whereas IFN-?2 does not. In both postexposure prophylaxis and treatment of acute infections, IFN-?14, but not IFN-?2, significantly suppressed HIV-1 replication and proviral loads. Furthermore, HIV-1-induced immune hyperactivation, which is a prognosticator of disease progression, was reduced by IFN-?14 but not IFN-?2. Whereas ineffective IFN-?2 therapy was associated with CD8(+) T cell activation, successful IFN-?14 therapy was associated with increased intrinsic and innate immunity, including significantly higher induction of tetherin and MX2, increased APOBEC3G signature mutations in HIV-1 proviral DNA, and higher frequencies of TRAIL(+) NK cells. These results identify IFN-?14 as a potent new therapeutic that operates via mechanisms distinct from those of antiretroviral drugs. The ability of IFN-?14 to reduce both viremia and proviral loads in vivo suggests that it has strong potential as a component of a cure strategy for HIV-1 infections. The broad implication of these results is that the antiviral efficacy of each individual IFN-? subtype should be evaluated against the specific virus being treated.The naturally occurring antiviral protein IFN-?2 is used to treat hepatitis viruses but has proven rather ineffective against HIV in comparison to triple therapy with the antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Although ARVs suppress the replication of HIV, they fail to completely clear infections. Since IFN-? acts by different mechanism than ARVs and has been shown to reduce HIV proviral loads, clinical trials are under way to test whether IFN-?2 combined with ARVs might eradicate HIV-1 infections. IFN-? is actually a family of 12 distinct proteins, and each IFN-? subtype has different efficacies toward different viruses. Here, we use mice that contain a human immune system, so they can be infected with HIV. With this model, we demonstrate that while IFN-?2 is only weakly effective against HIV, IFN-?14 is extremely potent. This discovery identifies IFN-?14 as a more powerful IFN-? subtype for use in combination therapy trials aimed toward an HIV cure.
| S-EPMC4907223 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES:HIV-1 infection dysregulates the innate immune system and alters leukocyte-gene expression. The objectives were two fold: to characterize the impact of HIV-1 infection on peripheral monocyte gene expression and to identify the predominant factor(s) responsible for altered gene expression. DESIGN AND METHODS:In a cross-sectional study (n = 55), CD14 monocytes were isolated from 11 HIV-1 seronegative controls, 22 HIV-1 seropositive individuals with low-viral loads (LVL) and 22 HIV-1 seropositive individuals with high-viral loads (HVL). Monocyte gene expression data were collected for control, LVL and HVL individuals using high-density microarrays. We evaluated three HIV-1 disease-related peripheral factors, interferon (IFN)-alpha, IFN-gamma and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as candidates causing monocyte dysregulation, by comparing gene expression profiles between study individuals and monocytes treated with these factors in vitro. Plasma from HIV-1 positive individuals was quantified for LPS and soluble CD14. RESULTS:Monocytes from HIV-1-infected individuals with viral loads above 10,000 RNA copies/ml (HVL) displayed an activated phenotype. Characterization of gene expression revealed an ongoing immune response to viral infection including inflammation and chemotaxis. Gene expression analysis of in-vitro-treated HIV-1 seronegative monocytes with IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma or LPS demonstrated that IFN-alpha most accurately recapitulated the HIV-1 HVL profile. No LPS-induced gene expression signature was detected even in HIV-1 individuals with the highest LPS and sCD14 levels. CONCLUSION:Monocyte gene expression in individuals with HIV-1 viremia is predominantly due to IFN-alpha, whereas individuals with LVL have a nonactivated phenotype. In monocytes, there was no discernible expression profile linked to LPS exposure.
| S-EPMC2991092 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Type I interferon inhibits viruses through inducing the expression of antiviral proteins, including the myxovirus resistance (Mx) proteins. Compared to the human MxA protein, which inhibits a wide range of viruses, the MxB protein has been reported to specifically inhibit primate lentiviruses, including HIV-1, and herpesviruses. Further, the role of endogenous MxB in alpha interferon-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 infection was questioned by a recent study showing that MxB knockout did not increase the level of infection by HIV-1 which carried the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), allowing infection of CD4-negative HT1080 cells. In order to further examine the anti-HIV-1 activity of endogenous MxB, we have used CRISPR/Cas9 to deplete MxB in different cell lines and observed a substantial restoration of HIV-1 infection in the presence of alpha interferon treatment. However, this rescue effect of MxB knockout became much less pronounced when infection was performed with HIV-1 carrying the VSV G protein. Interestingly, a CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen of alpha interferon-stimulated genes in U87-MG cells revealed that the genes for interferon-induced transmembrane protein 2 (IFITM2) and IFITM3 inhibited VSV G-pseudotyped HIV-1 much more strongly than the rest of the genes tested, including the gene for MxB. Therefore, our results demonstrate the importance of MxB in alpha interferon-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 infection, which, however, can be underestimated if infection is performed with VSV G protein-pseudotyped HIV-1, due to the high sensitivity of VSV G-mediated infection to inhibition by IFITM proteins.IMPORTANCE The results of this study reconcile the controversial reports regarding the anti-HIV-1 function of alpha interferon-induced MxB protein. In addition to the different cell types that may have contributed to the different observations, our data also suggest that VSV G protein-pseudotyped HIV-1 is much less inhibited by alpha interferon-induced MxB than HIV-1 itself is. Our results clearly demonstrate an important contribution of MxB to alpha interferon-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 in CD4+ T cells, which calls for using HIV-1 target cells and wild-type virus to test the relevance of the anti-HIV-1 activity of endogenous MxB and other restriction factors.
| S-EPMC6096811 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Chronic immune activation (IA) is considered as the driving force of CD4(+) T cell depletion and AIDS. Fundamental clues in the mechanisms that regulate IA could lie in natural hosts of SIV, such as African green monkeys (AGMs). Here we investigated the role of innate immune cells and IFN-? in the control of IA in AGMs. AGMs displayed significant NK cell activation upon SIVagm infection, which was correlated with the levels of IFN-?. Moreover, we detected cytotoxic NK cells in lymph nodes during the early acute phase of SIVagm infection. Both plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cell (pDC and mDC) homing receptors were increased, but the maturation of mDCs, in particular of CD16+ mDCs, was more important than that of pDCs. Monitoring of 15 cytokines showed that those, which are known to be increased early in HIV-1/SIVmac pathogenic infections, such as IL-15, IFN-?, MCP-1 and CXCL10/IP-10, were significantly increased in AGMs as well. In contrast, cytokines generally induced in the later stage of acute pathogenic infection, such as IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-?, were less or not increased, suggesting an early control of IA. We then treated AGMs daily with high doses of IFN-? from day 9 to 24 post-infection. No impact was observed on the activation or maturation profiles of mDCs, pDCs and NK cells. There was also no major difference in T cell activation or interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression profiles and no sign of disease progression. Thus, even after administration of high levels of IFN-? during acute infection, AGMs were still able to control IA, showing that IA control is independent of IFN-? levels. This suggests that the sustained ISG expression and IA in HIV/SIVmac infections involves non-IFN-? products.
| S-EPMC4081777 | biostudies-literature