Restriction of HIV-1 replication in macrophages and CD4+ T cells from HIV controllers

Abstract How HIV controllers (HICs) maintain undetectable viremia without therapy is unknown. The strong CD8+ T-cell HIV suppressive capacity found in many, but not all, HICs may contribute to long-lasting viral control. However, other earlier defense mechanisms may be involved. Here, we examined intrinsic HIC cell resistance to HIV-1 infection. After in vitro challenge, monocyte-derived macrophages and anti–CD3-activated CD4+ T cells from HICs showed low HIV-1 susceptibility. CD4 T-cell resistance was independent of HIV-1 coreceptors and affected also SIVmac infection. CD4+ T cells from HICs expressed ex vivo higher levels of p21Waf1/Cip1, which has been involved in the control of HIV-1 replication, than cells from control subjects. However, HIV restriction in anti–CD3-activated CD4+ T cells and macrophages was not associated with p21 expression. Restriction inhibited accumulation of reverse transcripts, leading to reduction of HIV-1 integrated proviruses. The block could be overcome by high viral inocula, suggesting the action of a saturable mechanism. Importantly, cell-associated HIV-1 DNA load was extremely low in HICs and correlated with CD4+ T-cell permissiveness to infection. These results point to a contribution of intrinsic cell resistance to the control of infection and the containment of viral reservoir in HICs.

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Characteristics of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell and CD4+ T Cell in HIV Elite Controllers

Clinical and Developmental Immunology ◽

10.1155/2012/869505 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jean-Philippe Herbeuval ◽

Nikaïa Smith ◽

Jacques Thèze

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Viral Load ◽

T Cell ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Cell Depletion ◽

T Cell Depletion ◽

Hiv Controllers ◽

Hiv 1

Despite variability, the majority of HIV-1-infected individuals progress to AIDS characterized by high viral load and massive CD4+ T-cell depletion. However, there is a subset of HIV-1-positive individuals that does not progress and spontaneously maintains an undetectable viral load. This infrequent patient population is defined as HIV-1 controllers (HIV controllers), and represents less than 1% of HIV-1-infected patients. HIV-1-specific CD4+ T cells and the pool of central memory CD4+ T cells are also preserved despite immune activation due to HIV-1 infection. The majority of HIV controllers are also defined by the absence of massive CD4+ T-cell depletion, even after 10 years of infection. However, the mechanisms involved in protection against HIV-1 disease progression have not been elucidated yet. Controllers represent a heterogeneous population; we describe in this paper some common characteristics concerning innate immune response and CD4+ T cells of HIV controllers.

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Inconsistent Reversal of HIV-1 Latency Ex Vivo by Antigens of HIV-1, CMV, and Other Infectious Agents

10.21203/rs.3.rs-35386/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Vollbrecht ◽

Aaron O. Angerstein ◽

Bryson Menke ◽

Nikesh M. Kumar ◽

Michelli Faria Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

T Cell Activation ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Cell Activation ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Latent Reservoir ◽

Antigen Specificity ◽

Pcr Assay ◽

Hiv 1

Abstract BackgroundA reservoir of replication-competent but latent virus is the main obstacle to a cure for HIV-infection. Much of this reservoir resides in memory CD4 T cells. We hypothesized that these cells can be reactivated with antigens from HIV and other common pathogens to reverse latency. ResultsWe obtained mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of antiretroviral-treated patients with suppressed viremia. We tested pools of peptides and proteins derived from HIV and from other pathogens including CMV for their ability to reverse latency ex vivo by activation of memory responses. We assessed activation of the CD4 T cells by measuring the up-regulation of cell-surface CD69. We assessed HIV-expression using two assays: a real-time PCR assay for virion-associated viral RNA and a droplet digital PCR assay for cell-associated, multiply spliced viral mRNA. Reversal of latency occurred in a minority of cells from some participants, but no single antigen induced HIV-expression ex vivo consistently. When reversal of latency was induced by a specific peptide pool or protein, the extent was proportionally greater than that of T cell activation. ConclusionsIn this group of patients in whom antiretroviral therapy was started during chronic infection, the latent reservoir does not appear to consistently reside in CD4 T cells of a predominant antigen-specificity. Peptide-antigens reversed HIV-latency ex vivo with modest and variable activity. When latency was reversed by specific peptides or proteins, it was proportionally greater than the extent of T cell activation, suggesting partial enrichment of the latent reservoir in cells of specific antigen-reactivity.

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HIV Controllers Exhibit Effective CD8+ T Cell Recognition of HIV-1-Infected Non-activated CD4+ T Cells

Cell Reports ◽

10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 142-153.e4 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Blandine Monel ◽

Annmarie McKeon ◽

Pedro Lamothe-Molina ◽

Priya Jani ◽

Julie Boucau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Cd8 T Cell ◽

Cell Recognition ◽

T Cell Recognition ◽

Hiv Controllers ◽

Hiv 1

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Primary HIV-1 Infection Is Associated with Preferential Depletion of CD4+ T Lymphocytes from Effector Sites in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.20041196 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 200 (6) ◽

pp. 761-770 ◽

Cited By ~ 776

Author(s):

Saurabh Mehandru ◽

Michael A. Poles ◽

Klara Tenner-Racz ◽

Amir Horowitz ◽

Arlene Hurley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Cell Loss ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Suppressive Therapy ◽

Hiv 1 ◽

Gi Mucosa

Given its population of CCR5-expressing, immunologically activated CD4+ T cells, the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa is uniquely susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection. We undertook this study to assess whether a preferential depletion of mucosal CD4+ T cells would be observed in HIV-1–infected subjects during the primary infection period, to examine the anatomic subcompartment from which these cells are depleted, and to examine whether suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy could result in complete immune reconstitution in the mucosal compartment. Our results demonstrate that a significant and preferential depletion of mucosal CD4+ T cells compared with peripheral blood CD4+ T cells is seen during primary HIV-1 infection. CD4+ T cell loss predominated in the effector subcompartment of the GI mucosa, in distinction to the inductive compartment, where HIV-1 RNA was present. Cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of primary HIV-1 infection subjects showed that although chronic suppression of HIV-1 permits near-complete immune recovery of the peripheral blood CD4+ T cell population, a significantly greater CD4+ T cell loss remains in the GI mucosa, despite up to 5 yr of fully suppressive therapy. Given the importance of the mucosal compartment in HIV-1 pathogenesis, further study to elucidate the significance of the changes observed here is critical.

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Loss of EBV-Specific CD4+T Cells during Progression to EBV-Related AIDS Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Restoration by Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v104.11.3110.3110 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 104 (11) ◽

pp. 3110-3110

Author(s):

Erwan R. Piriou ◽

Christine Jansen ◽

Karel van Dort ◽

Iris De Cuyper ◽

Nening M. Nanlohy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Cell Response ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Antigen Processing ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

T Cell Response ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Cell Numbers

Abstract Objective: EBV-specific CD8+ T cells have been extensively studied in various settings, and appear to play a major role in the control of EBV-related malignancies. In contrast, it is still unclear whether EBV-specific CD4+ T cells play a role in vivo. To study this question, an assay was developed to measure the CD4+ T-cell response towards two EBV antigens, in both healthy (n=14) and HIV-infected subjects (n=23). In addition, both HAART-treated (n=12) and untreated HIV+ individuals (n=14) - including progressors to EBV-related lymphoma - were studied longitudinally. Methods: EBV-specific CD4+ T cells were stimulated with peptide pools from latent protein EBNA1 and lytic protein BZLF1, and detected by measurement of IFNg-production. Results: After direct ex vivo stimulation, EBNA1 or BZLF1-specific IFNg- (and/or IL2) producing CD4+ T cell numbers were low, and measurable in less than half of the subjects studied (either HIV- and HIV+). Therefore, PBMC were cultured for 12 days in the presence of peptides and IL2 (from day 3), and then restimulated with peptides, allowing specific and reproducible expansion of EBV-specific CD4+ T cells, independent of HLA type and ex vivo antigen processing. Interestingly, numbers of EBV-specific CD4+ T cells inversely correlated with EBV viral load, implying an important role for EBV-specific CD4+ T cells in the control of EBV in vivo. Untreated HIV-infected individuals had a lower CD4+ T cell response to EBNA1 and BZLF1 as compared to healthy EBV carriers and HAART-treated HIV+ subjects. In longitudinal samples, EBNA1-specific, but not BZLF1-specific T-cell numbers increased after HAART, while EBV load was not affected by treatment. In all the progressors to EBV-related lymphoma, EBV-specific CD4+ T cells were lost at least 24 months before lymphoma diagnosis. Conclusions: Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data suggest an important role for EBV-specific CD4+ T cells in the control of EBV-related malignancies. Furthermore, it seems that HAART treatment leads to recovery of EBNA1-specific, but not BZLF1-specific CD4+ T-cell responses, implying changes in the latency pattern of EBV, despite an unaltered cell-associated EBV DNA load. Thus, early HAART treatment might prevent loss of specific CD4+ T-cell help and progression to NHL.

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Th1/17 Polarization of CD4 T Cells Supports HIV-1 Persistence during Antiretroviral Therapy

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.01595-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 89 (22) ◽

pp. 11284-11293 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Hong Sun ◽

Dhohyung Kim ◽

Xiaodong Li ◽

Maja Kiselinova ◽

Zhengyu Ouyang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Memory Cell ◽

Viral Reservoir ◽

Target Cells ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Hiv 1

ABSTRACTThe ability to persist long term in latently infected CD4 T cells represents a characteristic feature of HIV-1 infection and the predominant barrier to efforts aiming at viral eradication and cure. Yet, increasing evidence suggests that only small subsets of CD4 T cells with specific developmental and maturational profiles are able to effectively support HIV-1 long-term persistence. Here, we analyzed how the functional polarization of CD4 T cells shapes and structures the reservoirs of HIV-1-infected cells. We found that CD4 T cells enriched for a Th1/17 polarization had elevated susceptibilities to HIV-1 infection inex vivoassays, harbored high levels of HIV-1 DNA in persons treated with antiretroviral therapy, and made a disproportionately increased contribution to the viral reservoir relative to their contribution to the CD4 T memory cell pool. Moreover, HIV-1 DNA levels in Th1/17 cells remained stable over many years of antiretroviral therapy, resulting in a progressively increasing contribution of these cells to the viral reservoir, and phylogenetic studies suggested preferential long-term persistence of identical viral sequences during prolonged antiretroviral treatment in this cell compartment. Together, these data suggest that Th1/17 CD4 T cells represent a preferred site for HIV-1 DNA long-term persistence in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.IMPORTANCECurrent antiretroviral therapy is very effective in suppressing active HIV-1 replication but does not fully eliminate virally infected cells. The ability of HIV-1 to persist long term despite suppressive antiretroviral combination therapy represents a perplexing aspect of HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, since most HIV-1 target cells are activated, short-lived CD4 T cells. This study suggests that CD4 T helper cells with Th1/17 polarization have a preferential role as a long-term reservoir for HIV-1 infection during antiretroviral therapy, possibly because these cells may imitate some of the functional properties traditionally attributed to stem cells, such as the ability to persist for extremely long periods of time and to repopulate their own pool size through homeostatic self-renewal. These observations support the hypothesis that HIV-1 persistence is driven by small subsets of long-lasting stem cell-like CD4 T cells that may represent particularly promising targets for clinical strategies aiming at HIV-1 eradication and cure.

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Deciphering the Plasmodium falciparum malaria-specific CD4+ T cell response: ex vivo detection of high frequencies of PD-1+TIGIT+ EXP1-specific CD4+ T cells using a novel HLA-DR11-restricted MHC class II tetramer

Clinical & Experimental Immunology ◽

10.1093/cei/uxab027 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sophia Schulte ◽

Janna Heide ◽

Christin Ackermann ◽

Sven Peine ◽

Michael Ramharter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Mhc Class Ii ◽

Cell Response ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Class Ii ◽

T Cell Response ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Inhibitory Receptors

Abstract Relatively little is known about the ex vivo frequency and phenotype of the P. falciparum-specific CD4+ T cell response in humans. The exported protein 1 (EXP1) is expressed by plasmodia at both, the liver stage and blood stage, of infection making it a potential target for CD4+ and CD8+ effector T cells. Here, a fluorochrome-labelled HLA-DRB1*11:01-restriced MHC class II tetramer derived from the P. falciparum EXP1 (aa62-74) was established for ex vivo tetramer analysis and magnetic bead enrichment in ten patients with acute malaria. EXP1-specific CD4+ T cells were detectable in nine out of ten (90%) malaria patients expressing the HLA-DRB1*11 molecule with an average ex vivo frequency of 0.11% (0-0.22%) of total CD4+ T cells. The phenotype of EXP1-specific CD4+ T cells was further assessed using co-staining with activation (CD38, HLA-DR, CD26), differentiation (CD45RO, CCR7, KLRG1, CD127), senescence (CD57) and co-inhibitory (PD-1, TIGIT, LAG-3, TIM-3) markers as well as the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73. EXP1-specific tetramer+ CD4+ T cells had a distinct phenotype compared to bulk CD4+ T cells and displayed a highly activated effector memory phenotype with elevated levels of co-inhibitory receptors and activation markers: EXP1-specific CD4+ T cells universally expressed the co-inhibitory receptors PD-1 and TIGIT as well as the activation marker CD38 and showed elevated frequencies of CD39. These results demonstrate that MHC class II tetramer enrichment is a sensitive approach to investigate ex vivo antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in malaria patients that will aid further analysis of the role of CD4+ T cells during malaria.

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Relation of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells to Immune Status in Patients with HIV Infection.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v104.11.3106.3106 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 104 (11) ◽

pp. 3106-3106

Author(s):

Sachi Tsunemi ◽

Tsuyoshi Iwasaki ◽

Takehito Imado ◽

Satoshi Higasa ◽

Eizo Kakishita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Hiv Infection ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Hiv 1

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by marked defects in CD4+ helper T cell (Th) functions that commonly progress to a substantial decline in peripheral CD4+ T cell counts. However, the mechanisms responsible for the loss of Th functions in HIV-infected patients independent of CD4+ T cell counts remains unclear. CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (T Reg) are essential for down-regulation of both autoreactive and alloreactive T cells. Therefore, we decided to investigate the role of T Reg in immune status of HIV-infected patients. We examined the expression of cell surface CD25, cytoplasmic IL-4 and cytoplasmic IFN-gamma in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from both healthy controls (n=9) and HIV-infected patients (n=43). We also compared T Reg functions between the 2 groups. CD4+CD25+ T Reg isolated from both HIV-infected patients and healthy controls strongly expressed CD45RO, HLA-DR, and FoxP3, and suppressed the proliferation of CD4+CD25− T cells, suggesting that CD4+CD25+ T cells from both healthy controls and HIV-infected patients possess phenotypic and functional characteristics of Treg. CD4+CD25high T cells are a subset of circulating CD4+CD25+ T cells in normal humans and exhibit strong in vitro regulatory functions similar to those reported for murine CD4+CD25+ T Reg. We measured the frequency of CD4+CD25high T Reg by analysis of surface CD25 on CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood samples. We also examined Th1 and Th2 frequencies by analysis of cytoplasmic IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels in CD4+ T cells. T Reg from HIV-infected patients with detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA showed a statistically significant increase in CD4+CD25high cell frequency (p<0.05) compared to healthy controls, with T Reg frequencies inversely proportional to CD4+ T cell numbers (p<0.01). However, in HIV-infected patients with undetectable plasma HIV-RNA, frequencies of CD4+CD25high T Reg were not increased and not related to CD4+ T cell numbers. In both HIV-infected patient groups, T Reg frequency was inversely related to Th1 frequency (detectable: p<0.05, undetectable: p<0.001), but positively related to Th2 frequency (detectable: p<0.01, undetectable: p<0.001). Our results indicate that increased frequencies of peripheral blood T Reg were related to disease progression as measured by detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA, decreased peripheral blood CD4+ T cell counts, and polarization toward Th2 immune responses in HIV-infected patients. HIV infection may lead to induction of T reg that inhibit antiviral immune responses, resulting in the progression of the disease. Manipulation of T Reg could help restore antiviral immune responses in HIV infection, and prevent the progression of HIV infection.

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Kynurenine Reduces Memory CD4 T-Cell Survival by Interfering with Interleukin-2 Signaling Early during HIV-1 Infection

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00994-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 90 (17) ◽

pp. 7967-7979 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Xavier Dagenais-Lussier ◽

Mouna Aounallah ◽

Vikram Mehraj ◽

Mohamed El-Far ◽

Cecile Tremblay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Cell Survival ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Interleukin 2 ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Tryptophan Catabolism ◽

T Cell Survival ◽

Memory Cd4 T Cells ◽

Hiv 1

ABSTRACTEarly HIV-1 infection is characterized by enhanced tryptophan catabolism, which contributes to immune suppression and disease progression. However, the mechanism by which kynurenine, a tryptophan-related metabolite, induces immune suppression remains poorly understood. Herein, we show that the increased production of kynurenine correlates with defective interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling in memory CD4 T cells from HIV-infected subjects. Defective IL-2 signaling in these subjects, which drives reduced protection from Fas-mediated apoptosis, was also associated with memory CD4 T-cell loss. Treatment of memory CD4 T cells with the concentration of kynurenine found in plasma inhibited IL-2 signaling through the production of reactive oxygen species. We further show that IL-2 signaling in memory CD4 T cells is improved by the antioxidantN-acetylcysteine. Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy restored the IL-2 response in memory CD4 T cells by reducing reactive oxygen species and kynurenine production. The study findings provide a kynurenine-dependent mechanism through IL-2 signaling for reduced CD4 T-cell survival, which can be reversed by early treatment initiation in HIV-1 infection.IMPORTANCEThe persistence of functional memory CD4 T cells represents the basis for long-lasting immune protection in individuals after exposure to HIV-1. Unfortunately, primary HIV-1 infection results in the massive loss of these cells within weeks of infection, which is mainly driven by inflammation and massive infection by the virus. These new findings show that the enhanced production of kynurenine, a metabolite related to tryptophan catabolism, also impairs memory CD4 T-cell survival and interferes with IL-2 signaling early during HIV-1 infection.

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