Increased CCR5 expression with decreased beta chemokine secretion in Ethiopians: relevance to AIDS in Africa.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to determine the contribution of HIV co-receptors and beta chemokine secretion to the increased susceptibility for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from HIV-seronegative Ethiopian immigrants in Israel (ETH).


METHODS
Immune activation markers and HIV co-receptor expression on lymphocytes and monocytes, and beta chemokine secretion by CD8+ cells, were compared between ETH and non-Ethiopian Israeli (IS) HIV-negative individuals.


RESULTS
The percentage of lymphocytes and monocytes expressing CCR5 was 1.6 and 3.0 times higher in ETH (n = 83) than in IS (n = 45), respectively (P < .001), whereas RANTES and MIP-1alpha secretion was 0.5 and 0.7 times lower (P < .01 and P < .05). The percentage of CCR5-expressing cells and RANTES secretion were inversely correlated (r = -0.7; P < .002). No differences were found in the proportion of CXCR4-expressing cells. No correlation between CCR5 expression and cell activation profile in the whole ETH population was found. However, in highly activated individuals (HLA-DR/CD3 > 7%), a significant decrease in CCR5 expression was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
An increased proportion of CCR5-expressing cells with decreased beta chemokine secretion observed in ETH may account for the increased susceptibility to HIV infection of cells obtained from this group. These findings may partly explain the higher susceptibility for HIV infection in Africa and thus the rapid spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in that continent.
Kalinkovich
A
A
Ruth Ben-Ari Institute of Clinical Immunology, AIDS Center, Kaplan Medical Center, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Rehovot, Israel.
Weisman
Z
Z
Leng
Q
Q
Borkow
G
G
Stein
M
M
Greenberg
Z
Z
Zlotnikov
S
S
Eitan
S
S
Bentwich
Z
Z
D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000378:metabolism; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology
D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D019713:Receptors, CCR5