Project description:PolyA-RNA sequencing on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in patients infected with HIV and healthy donnors. Patients were effectively treated with cART (virological controlled and CD4+ T-cell counts over 500) for an extended period. HIV infected patients were not coinfected with HCV or HBV.
Project description:We conducted a prospective study in 28 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients receiving IFN-based therapy at baseline (HIV/HCV-b) and week 24 after the sustained virological response (HIV/HCV-f). Twenty-seven HIV-monoinfected patients (HIV-group) were included as a control group, which were effectively treated with cART (virological controlled and CD4+ T-cell counts over 500) for an extended period. RNA-seq analysis was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
Project description:We conducted a prospective study in 33 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients receiving IFN-based therapy at baseline (HIV+/HCV+) and week 36 after the sustained virological response (HIV+/HCV-). Twenty-six HIV-monoinfected patients (HIV+) and 9 patients that achieved the sustained virological response 36 weeks before (HCV-) were included as a control group. The HIV+ patients were effectively treated with cART (virological controlled and CD4+ T-cell counts over 500) for an extended period. RNA-seq analysis was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
Project description:Human immunity relies on the coordinated responses of many cellular subsets and functional states. Inter-individual variations in cellular composition and communication could thus potentially alter host protection. Here, we explore this hypothesis by applying single-cell RNA-Seq to examine viral responses among the dendritic cells (DCs) of three elite controllers (ECs) of HIV-1 infection. We discover a highly functional antiviral DC state in ECs whose fractional abundance after in vitro exposure to HIV-1 correlates with higher CD4+ T cell counts and lower HIV-1 viral loads, and that effectively primes polyfunctional T cell responses in vitro. We identify and validate select immunomodulators that increase the fractional abundance of this state in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals in vitro.
Project description:We assessed correlates of protection from disease progression in a rare subset of HIV-infected individuals, viremic non-progressors (VNPs). These individuals have high viral load for several years, but in contrast to the majority of infected individuals, they do not progress to AIDS. Here we found this lack of progression was associated with selective preservation of two essential subsets of memory CD4+ T cells, central memory (TCM) and stem-cell memory (TSCM) cells. Compared to HIV-infected putative progressors, VNPs had higher proliferation of these indispensable subsets of memory cells, which was associated with the number of TCM. In addition, the long-lived CD4+ TCM and TSCM cells in VNPs had decreased HIV infection compared to the less critical effector memory CD4+ T cells, which indicates a possible mechanism by which VNPs maintain their CD4+ T cell pool after several years of infection, and remain free from AIDS progression. 6 HIV-infected patients fitting the clinical criteria of Viremic Non-Progressors were identified. VNPs were defined as having confirmed HIV-1 infection for at least 9 years with sustained plasma HIV RNA levels >10,000 copies/ml and maintenance of peripheral blood CD4+ T cell counts >500 cells/mm3 and a CD4% (of all lymphocytes) >15%. As controls, 7 HIV-infected Putative Progressors were identified. PPs were defined as having plasma HIV RNA levels >10,000 copies/mL, CD4+ T cell counts >400 cells/mm3 and having been initially infected with HIV 2-24 months prior to the index visit. The estimated date of initial HIV infection was calculated according to published algorithms that incorporate âde-tunedâ anti-HIV-1 antibody ELISA results or by a documented sero-conversion window of <6 months. All participants were required to be antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve. RNA from 6 VNP and 7 PPs was purified from PAXgene whole blood tubes and hybridized to Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. During data analysis, one VNP patient (PID 4015) was determined to be an outlier and removed from further analysis. Thus, 5 VNPs and 7 PPs are represented in this Series.
Project description:Human immunity relies on the coordinated responses of many cellular subsets and functional states. Inter-individual variations in cellular composition and communication could thus potentially alter host protection. Here, we explore this hypothesis by applying single-cell RNA-Seq to examine viral responses among the dendritic cells (DCs) of three elite controllers (ECs) of HIV-1 infection. We discover a highly functional antiviral DC state in ECs whose fractional abundance after in vitro exposure to HIV-1 correlates with higher CD4+ T cell counts and lower HIV-1 viral loads, and that effectively primes polyfunctional T cell responses in vitro. We identify and validate select immunomodulators that increase the fractional abundance of this state in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals in vitro.
Project description:Human immunity relies on the coordinated responses of many cellular subsets and functional states. Inter-individual variations in cellular composition and communication could thus potentially alter host protection. Here, we explore this hypothesis by applying single-cell RNA-Seq to examine viral responses among the dendritic cells (DCs) of three elite controllers (ECs) of HIV-1 infection. We discover a highly functional antiviral DC state in ECs whose fractional abundance after in vitro exposure to HIV-1 correlates with higher CD4+ T cell counts and lower HIV-1 viral loads, and that effectively primes polyfunctional T cell responses in vitro. We identify and validate select immunomodulators that increase the fractional abundance of this state in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals in vitro.
Project description:Macrophages are heterogeneous immune cells with distinct origins, phenotypes, functions and tissue localization. Their susceptibility to HIV-1 is subject to variations from permissiveness to resistance, owing in part to regulatory microRNAs. Here, we used RNAseq to examine the expression of >400 microRNAs in productively infected and bystander cells of HIV-1-exposed macrophage cultures. Two micro-RNAs up regulated in bystander macrophages, miR-221 and miR-222, were identified as negative regulators of CD4 expression and CD4-mediated HIV-1 entry. Both microRNAs were enhanced by TNF-α, an inhibitor of CD4 expression. MiR-221/miR-222 inhibitors recovered HIV-1 entry in TNF-α-treated macrophages by enhancing CD4 expression, and increased HIV-1 replication and spread in macrophages by countering TNF-α-enhanced miR-221/miR-222 expression in bystander cells. In line with these findings, HIV-1-resistant intestinal myeloid cells express higher levels of miR-221 than peripheral blood monocytes. Thus, miR-221/miR-222 act as effectors of the antiviral host response activated during macrophage infection that restrict HIV-1 entry.
Project description:Host directed therapies against HIV-1 are thought to be critical for long term containment of the HIV-1 pandemic but remain elusive. Since HIV-1 infects and manipulates important effectors of both the innate and adaptive immune system, identifying modulations of the host cell systems in humans during HIV-1 infection may be crucial for the development of immune based therapies. Here, we quantified the changes of the proteome in human CD4+ T cells upon HIV-1 infection, both in vitro and in vivo. A SWATH-MS approach was used to measure the proteome of human primary CD4+ T cells infected with HIV-1 in vitro as well as CD4+ T cells from HIV-1 infected patients with paired samples on and off antiretroviral treatment. In the in vitro experiment, the proteome of CD4+ T cells was quantified over a time course following HIV-1 infection. 1,725 host cell proteins and 4 HIV-1 proteins were quantified, with 145 proteins changing significantly during the time course. Changes in the proteome peaked 24 hours after infection, concomitantly with significant HIV-1 protein production. In the in vivo branch of the study, CD4+ T cells from viremic patients and those with no detectable viral load after treatment were sorted and the proteomes quantified. We consistently detected 895 proteins, 172 of which were considered to be significantly different between viraemic patients and patients undergoing successful treatment. The proteome of in vitro infected CD4+ T cells was modulated on multiple functional levels, including TLR-4 signalling and the type 1 interferon signalling pathway. Perturbations in the type 1 interferon signalling pathway were recapitulated in CD4+ T cells from patients. The study shows that proteome maps generated by SWATH-MS indicate a range of functionally significant changes in the proteome of HIV infected human CD4+ T cells. Exploring these perturbations in more detail may help identify new targets for immune based interventions.
Project description:Using microRNA array analyses of in vitro HIV-1-infected CD4+ cells, we find that several host microRNAs are significantly up- or downregulated around the time HIV-1 infection peaks in vitro. While microRNA-223 levels were significantly enriched in HIV-1-infected CD4+CD8? PBMCs, microRNA-29a/b, microRNA-155 and microRNA-21 levels were significantly reduced. Based on the potential for microRNA binding sites in a conserved sequence of the Nef-3?-LTR, several host microRNAs potentially could affect HIV-1 gene expression. Among those microRNAs, the microRNA-29 family has seed complementarity in the HIV-1 3?-UTR, but the potential suppressive effect of microRNA-29 on HIV-1 is severely blocked by the secondary structure of the target region. Our data support a possible regulatory circuit at the peak of HIV-1 replication which involves downregulation of microRNA-29, expression of Nef, the apoptosis of host CD4 cells and upregulation of microRNA-223. Time course of HIV infection on CD4 cells