ABSTRACT
Abstract Background: Despite increase in survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients due to highly active antiretroviral therapy, non-infectious complications are still prevalent such as presentation of lung vasculopathy, even in asymptomatic patients. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is necessary to produce nitric oxide that causes pulmonary endothelial vasodilation. Participation of this protein in the pulmonary circulation in HIV patients has not been elucidated. This work studied the presence and expression of eNOS in pulmonary complex vascular lesions associated with HIV (PCVL/HIV). Methods: In lung tissues from patients who died from complications of HIV, we used immunohistochemistry and immune chemiluminescence (imageJ) to determine the different degrees of expression of eNOS in PCVL-HIV in comparison with non-PCVL/HIV. Reagents used were anti-eNOS and an automated system. All data are presented as mean and standard deviation. Differences were analyzed with Wilcoxon; p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Results: In 57 tissues, the histological evidence of pulmonary vasculopathy was showed as different types (proliferative, obliterative, and plexiform) and severe presentation of vasculopathy than non-PCVL/HIV. A statistically significant decrease of eNOS was observed in all PCVL/HIV tissue samples. Conclusion: eNOS has a relevant role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary vasculopathy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. It is necessary to determine in the future the participation of eNOS and other mechanisms involved in PCVL/HIV.
Resumen Antecedentes: A pesar del incremento en la sobrevivencia del paciente con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) debido al uso del tratamiento antiretroviral altamente efectivo, las complicaciones no infecciosas siguen ocasionando vasculopatía pulmonar, aun en pacientes asintomáticos. La óxido nítrico sintetasa (ONSe) es necesaria para la producción de óxido nítrico la cual provoca vasodilatación pulmonar. La participación de esta proteína en la circulación pulmonar en los pacientes con VIH aún no se ha dilucidado. Este trabajo estudia la presencia y la expresión de ONSe en las lesiones vasculares pulmonares complejas asociadas al VIH (LVPC/VIH). Métodos: En tejidos pulmonares de pacientes que fallecieron por complicaciones del VIH, se utilizó inmunohistoquímica e inmunoquimioluminescencia (imageJ) para determinar los diferentes grados de expresión de la ONSe en LVPC/VIH. Los reactivos utilizados son anti-ONSe en sistema automatizado. Todos los datos son presentados en media y desviación estándar. Las diferencias son analizadas con la prueba de Wilcoxon; se aceptó como estadísticamente significativa una p < 0.05. Resultados: En 57 pacientes, la histología de la vasculopatía pulmonar mostró diferentes tipos (proliferativo, obliterativo y plexiforme) además de varias presentaciones de vasculopatía en tejidos no-LVPC/VIH. Se observó diferencia estadística en la disminución de ONSe en todos los tejidos LVPC/VIH. Conclusiones: La ONSe tiene un papel relevante en la patogénesis de la vasculopatía pulmonar en el VIH. Es necesario determinar en el futuro la participación de ONSe y otros mecanismos involucrados en LVPC/VIH.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Vascular Diseases/physiopathology , HIV Infections/complications , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Pulmonary Artery/physiopathology , Vascular Diseases/enzymology , Vascular Diseases/virology , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
Background: Despite increase in survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients due to highly active antiretroviral therapy, non-infectious complications are still prevalent such as presentation of lung vasculopathy, even in asymptomatic patients. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is necessary to produce nitric oxide that causes pulmonary endothelial vasodilation. Participation of this protein in the pulmonary circulation in HIV patients has not been elucidated. This work studied the presence and expression of eNOS in pulmonary complex vascular lesions associated with HIV (PCVL/HIV). Methods: In lung tissues from patients who died from complications of HIV, we used immunohistochemistry and immune chemiluminescence (imageJ) to determine the different degrees of expression of eNOS in PCVL-HIV in comparison with non-PCVL/HIV. Reagents used were anti-eNOS and an automated system. All data are presented as mean and standard deviation. Differences were analyzed with Wilcoxon; p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Results: In 57 tissues, the histological evidence of pulmonary vasculopathy was showed as different types (proliferative, obliterative, and plexiform) and severe presentation of vasculopathy than non-PCVL/HIV. A statistically significant decrease of eNOS was observed in all PCVL/HIV tissue samples. Conclusion: eNOS has a relevant role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary vasculopathy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. It is necessary to determine in the future the participation of eNOS and other mechanisms involved in PCVL/HIV.
Antecedentes: A pesar del incremento en la sobrevivencia del paciente con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) debido al uso del tratamiento antiretroviral altamente efectivo, las complicaciones no infecciosas siguen ocasionando vasculopatía pulmonar, aun en pacientes asintomáticos. La óxido nítrico sintetasa (ONSe) es necesaria para la producción de óxido nítrico la cual provoca vasodilatación pulmonar. La participación de esta proteína en la circulación pulmonar en los pacientes con VIH aún no se ha dilucidado. Este trabajo estudia la presencia y la expresión de ONSe en las lesiones vasculares pulmonares complejas asociadas al VIH (LVPC/VIH). Métodos: En tejidos pulmonares de pacientes que fallecieron por complicaciones del VIH, se utilizó inmunohistoquímica e inmunoquimioluminescencia (imageJ) para determinar los diferentes grados de expresión de la ONSe en LVPC/VIH. Los reactivos utilizados son anti-ONSe en sistema automatizado. Todos los datos son presentados en media y desviación estándar. Las diferencias son analizadas con la prueba de Wilcoxon; se aceptó como estadísticamente significativa una p < 0.05. Resultados: En 57 pacientes, la histología de la vasculopatía pulmonar mostró diferentes tipos (proliferativo, obliterativo y plexiforme) además de varias presentaciones de vasculopatía en tejidos no-LVPC/VIH. Se observó diferencia estadística en la disminución de ONSe en todos los tejidos LVPC/VIH. Conclusiones: La ONSe tiene un papel relevante en la patogénesis de la vasculopatía pulmonar en el VIH. Es necesario determinar en el futuro la participación de ONSe y otros mecanismos involucrados en LVPC/VIH.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/complications , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Vascular Diseases/physiopathology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pulmonary Artery/physiopathology , Severity of Illness Index , Vascular Diseases/enzymology , Vascular Diseases/virology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Monocytes serve as a systemic reservoir of myeloid precursors for the renewal of tissue macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). Both monocytes and dendritic cells can be infected with HIV-1. Circulating DCs are believed to be derived from a common precursor of monocytes, or, in the case of inflammatory challenge, from monocytes directly. Because there are fewer infected blood monocytes than infected cells after differentiation, we hypothesized that the majority of HIV-1 infection in circulating DCs occurs via direct viral binding to their CD4 and coreceptors after differentiation. We isolated monocytes at one time point and circulating dendritic cells at a second time point from the blood of HIV-1-infected patients. Proviral DNA was isolated from DCs and monocytes, and the C2-V4 region of the HIV-1 env gene was cloned and sequenced. Phylogeny, nucleotide distances, and glycosylation patterns of the env gene were performed. The phylogenetic trees revealed that viral forms from the monocytes clustered distantly from the quasispecies derived from circulating DCs. The nucleotide distances and differing glycosylation patterns suggest that the infection of DCs is independent of the infection of the monocytes.
Subject(s)
Dendritic Cells/virology , HIV Infections/virology , HIV-1/genetics , Monocytes/virology , Cell Differentiation , DNA, Viral/analysis , DNA, Viral/genetics , Dendritic Cells/cytology , Glycosylation , HIV Infections/metabolism , HIV-1/metabolism , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Time Factors , env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/analysis , env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/genetics , env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/metabolismABSTRACT
Macrophages are recognized cellular compartments involved in HIV infection; however, the extent to which precursor monocytes are infected in vivo and its significance remains poorly understood. Our aim was to analyze the contribution of monocytes to HIV infection in vivo. PCR assays did not detect HIV-1 proviral DNA in monocytes of HAART-suppressed patients. Monocyte-derived macrophages from individuals under suppressive HAART did not show evidence of harboring HIV, thereby, minimizing the possibility of infection by the integration of sequestered virus after differentiation. These results suggest that the infection of permissive monocytes is directly related to the success of HAART (p<0.001). HIV-1 env was characterized from patients under sub-optimal HAART and hence, with infected monocytes. Sequence analyses showed a consistent relationship between monocytes and plasma virus. Altogether, we found that in suppressive HAART, neither monocytes nor Monocyte-derived macrophages-harbored HIV.
Subject(s)
Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use , Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active , HIV Infections/drug therapy , HIV Infections/virology , HIV-1/classification , Monocytes/virology , Cells, Cultured , DNA, Viral/genetics , HIV-1/genetics , HIV-1/isolation & purification , Humans , Macrophages/virology , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , Plasma/virology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Proviruses/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sequence Homology , env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/geneticsABSTRACT
We analyzed the viral C2-V4 envelope diversity, glycosylation patterns, and dS/dN ratios of plasma HIV-1 in an attempt to better understand the complex interaction between viral quasispecies and the host-selective pressures pre- and post-HAART. Phylogenetic analysis of the envelope gene of five patients revealed monophyletic clustering in patients with higher CD4+ T cell counts and sequence intermingling in those with lower CD4+ T cells in relation to the stage of HAART. Our analyses also showed clear shifts in N-linked glycosylation patterns in patients with higher CD4+ T cells, suggesting possible distinct immunological pressures pre- and post-HAART. The relative preponderance of synonymous/nonsynonymous changes in the envelope region suggested a positive selection in patients with higher CD4+ T cells, whereas lack of evidence for positive selection was found in the patients with lower CD4+ T cells. An exception to the last analysis occurred in the only patient who reached complete viral suppression, maybe due to drug pressure exerted over the pol gene that may obscure the immune pressure/selection at the envelope in this analysis. All these indications may suggest that even when HAART generates viral suppression, quasispecies evolve in the envelope gene probably resulting from host-selective pressure.