Gene expression and viral prodution in latently infected, resting CD4+ T cells in viremic versus aviremic HIV-infected individuals.
The presence of HIV-1 in latently infected, resting CD4(+) T cells has been clearly demonstrated in infected individuals; however, the extent of viral expression and the underlying mechanisms of the persistence of HIV-1 in this viral reservoir have not been fully delineated. Here, we show that resting CD4(+) T cells from the majority of viremic patients are capable of producing cell-free HIV-1 spontaneously ex vivo. The levels of HIV-1 released by resting CD4(+) T cells were not significantly reduced in the presence of inhibitors of cellular proliferation and viral replication. However, resting CD4(+) T cells from the majority of aviremic patients failed to produce virions, despite levels of HIV-1 proviral DNA and cell-associated HIV-1 RNA comparable to viremic patients. The DNA microarray analysis demonstrated that a number of genes involving transcription regulation, RNA processing and modification, and protein trafficking and vesicle transport were significantly upregulated in resting CD4(+) T cells of viremic patients compared to those of aviremic patients. These results suggest that active viral replication has a significant impact on the physiologic state of resting CD4(+) T cells in infected viremic patients and, in turn, allows release of HIV-1 without exogenous activation stimuli. In addition, given that no quantifiable virions were produced by the latent viral reservoir in the majority of aviremic patients despite the presence of cell-associated HIV-1 RNA, evidence for transcription of HIV-1 RNA in resting CD4(+) T cells of aviremic patients should not necessarily be taken as direct evidence for ongoing viral replication during effective therapy.
Chun
Tae-Wook
TW
Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. twchun@nih.gov
Justement
J Shawn
JS
Lempicki
Richard A
RA
Yang
Jun
J
Dennis
Glynn
G
Hallahan
Claire W
CW
Sanford
Christina
C
Pandya
Punita
P
Liu
Shuying
S
McLaughlin
Mary
M
Ehler
Linda A
LA
Moir
Susan
S
Fauci
Anthony S
AS
D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D014766:Viremia; D014779:Virus Replication
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral