Project description:Using HIV-1 SortSeq, we identified HIV-1-infected cells containing inducible HIV-1 for RNAseq from resting CD4+ T cells treated with PMA/ionomycin for 16 hours from HIV-1-infected, antiretroviral therapy treated, virally suppressed individuals. Using custom bioinformatic pipeline, we identified HIV-1 genomic RNA, host RNA and HIV-1-host chimeric RNA junctions.
Project description:Recently, several neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies have been isolated from memory B cells of HIV-infected individuals. However, despite extensive evidence of B-cell dysfunction in HIV disease, little is known about the cells from which these rare HIV-specific antibodies originate. Accordingly, HIV envelope gp140 and CD4 or co-receptor (CoR) binding site (bs) mutant probes were used to evaluate HIV-specific responses in the peripheral blood B cells of individuals at various stages of infection. In contrast to non-HIV responses, HIV-specific responses against gp140 were enriched within abnormal B cells, namely activated and exhausted memory subsets, which are largely absent in the blood of uninfected individuals. Responses against the CoRbs (a poorly-neutralizing epitope) arose early whereas those against the CD4bs (a well-characterized neutralizing epitope) were delayed and infrequent. Enrichment of the HIV-specific response within resting memory B cells, the predominant subset in uninfected individuals, did occur in certain infected individuals who maintained low levels of plasma viremia and immune activation with or without antiretroviral therapy. These findings were corroborated by transcriptional profiles. Taken together, our findings provide valuable insight into virus-specific B-cell responses in HIV infection and demonstrate that memory B-cell abnormalities may contribute to the ineffectiveness of the antibody response in infected individuals. HIV-specific responses against gp140 were enriched within abnormal B cells, namely activated (AM) and exhausted (tissue-like; TLM) memory subsets, which are largely absent in the blood of uninfected individuals. These responses are highest during the early stage of HIV infection, significantly decreased following the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and most importantly, enriched in normal resting memory B cells (RM) when HIV viremia and immune activation are controlled either naturally or as a result of ART. These HIV-specific B cells (AM and TLM) and resting memory B cells (RM) were sorted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 6 HIV infected individuals. In addition, gp140-specific IgG+ B cells were sorted from individuals with either a strong (n= 6) or weak (n= 6) pro-resting memory profile. TaqMan gene expression assay was performed on these HIV-specific B cells and B cell subset. The array consisted of 29 genes.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of CD4 T cells from uninfected and HIV-infected individuals (viremic, ART-suppressed and elite controllers [EC]) The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 485,577 CpGs in DNA from peripheral CD4 T cells samples. Samples included: 22 from HIV-uninfected individuals (uninfected group), 42 from HIV-infected individuals (21 from HIV-infected viremic (viremic group) and 21 from the same participants after viral suppression (viral load< 50 copies HIV-1 RNA/plasma) by antiretroviral therapy administrarion (ART group), and 21 from elite controllers (EC group)
Project description:The clonal expansion of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells is a major barrier to cure. Using single-cell ECCITE-seq, we examined the transcriptional landscape, upstream immune regulators, HIV-1 RNA expression, and T cell clonal expansion dynamics of 215,458 CD4+ T cells (267 HIV-1 RNA+ cells and 68 expanded HIV-1 RNA+ T cell clones) from six HIV-1-infected individuals (during viremia and after suppressive antiretroviral therapy) and two uninfected individuals, in unstimulated conditions and after CMV and HIV-1 antigen stimulation. We found that despite antiretroviral therapy, antigen and TNF responses persisted and shaped T cell clonal expansion. HIV-1 resided in Th1 polarized, antigen-responding T cells expressing Bcl-2 family anti-apoptotic genes. HIV-1 RNA+ T cell clones were larger in clone size, established during viremia, persistent after viral suppression, and enriched in GZMB+ cytotoxic effector memory Th1 cells. Targeting HIV-1-infected cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and drivers of clonal expansion provides a new direction for HIV-1 eradication.
Project description:Recently, several neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies have been isolated from memory B cells of HIV-infected individuals. However, despite extensive evidence of B-cell dysfunction in HIV disease, little is known about the cells from which these rare HIV-specific antibodies originate. Accordingly, HIV envelope gp140 and CD4 or co-receptor (CoR) binding site (bs) mutant probes were used to evaluate HIV-specific responses in the peripheral blood B cells of individuals at various stages of infection. In contrast to non-HIV responses, HIV-specific responses against gp140 were enriched within abnormal B cells, namely activated and exhausted memory subsets, which are largely absent in the blood of uninfected individuals. Responses against the CoRbs (a poorly-neutralizing epitope) arose early whereas those against the CD4bs (a well-characterized neutralizing epitope) were delayed and infrequent. Enrichment of the HIV-specific response within resting memory B cells, the predominant subset in uninfected individuals, did occur in certain infected individuals who maintained low levels of plasma viremia and immune activation with or without antiretroviral therapy. These findings were corroborated by transcriptional profiles. Taken together, our findings provide valuable insight into virus-specific B-cell responses in HIV infection and demonstrate that memory B-cell abnormalities may contribute to the ineffectiveness of the antibody response in infected individuals.
Project description:A paired analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a robust number of HIV-infected patients (N=36). Results identify a total of 4,157 DEGs following ART in HIV-infected participants and the transition from a period of active virus replication before ART to one of viral suppression This study evaluated PBMC gene expression in cells from 36 (4 dropped from analysis) recently HIV-infected individuals to identify differentially expressed genes following 48 weeks of ART
Project description:A paired analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a robust number of HIV-infected patients (N=36). Results identify a total of 4,157 DEGs following ART in HIV-infected participants and the transition from a period of active virus replication before ART to one of viral suppression
Project description:Background. HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (HIV/ART) experience higher levels of non-AIDS morbidity than uninfected people, which is believed to be driven by inflammation that persists despite viral suppression. Elevations in plasma cytokines, coagulation markers and both innate and adaptive immune cell activation during untreated infection are often incompletely reversed by ART and associated with these morbidities. Monocytes/macrophages play a central role in many of these complications including neurocognitive and cardiovascular disease. Results. We investigated monocyte surface markers, gene expression and plasma cytokines in 11 HIV-infected older individuals (median age 53 years) who started therapy with low CD4 counts (median 129 cells/ul), with elevated hsCRP (≥2mg/L) despite long-term ART (median 7.4 years), along with age, gender, race and smoking status-matched controls. Major monocyte subsets (based on CD14/CD16/CD163) were not different from controls, but surface levels differed for CD163 (p=0.022), PD1 (p=0.015) and a trend for tissue factor (p=0.098). As a group, HIV/ART subjects had elevated levels of plasma CCL2 (MCP-1; p=0.0001), CXCL9 (MIG; p=0.04) and sIL2R (p=0.015), which were highly correlated, whereas sCD14 and several other markers were not significantly elevated. However, principal component analysis of soluble markers revealed that about half of HIV/ART subjects clustered with controls, whereas the remainder were distinct, driven by IL-10, CCL11, CXCL10, CXCL11 as well as CCL2, CXCL9 and sIL2R. Outlier subjects were significantly older than those who clustered with controls. Gene expression analysis unexpectedly revealed downregulation in HIV/ART monocytes of multiple genes linked to immune functions including inflammation, immune cell development and cell-cell signaling. Conclusions. These results reveal a novel pattern of immune dysregulation involving both aberrant inflammation and monocyte dysfunction, which suggests complex mechanisms linking monocytes and HIV/ART comorbidities.
Project description:HIV infection produces a chronic inflammation which leads to early aging of people living with HIV. Even though antiretroviral treatments (ART) have significantly increased HIV patient survival, an underlying chronic inflammation persists leading to HIV-related comorbidities. In this context, changes in microRNAs (miRNAs) expression may contribute to this inflammatory response. This study aims to detect differential expression of circulating miRNAs in treatment-naïve HIV individuals compared to uninfected controls and evaluation of altered miRNAs after one year of ART. Serum miRNAs from patients and controls were analysed using next generation sequencing.
Project description:Myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) were isolated from antiretroviral therapy (ARV)-treated and untreated people living with HIV (PLWH), and from HIV uninfected Individuals. The results indicate that mDC are altered in genes expression from PLWH. Some RNA transcriptional changes are not completely restored by ARV. This provides more data on myeloid cells, an understudied cell type, and alterations in PLWH.