GB virus infection: a silent anti-HIV panacea within?
The GB virus (GBV)/hepatitis G virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family and belongs to the hepatitis group of viruses transmitted parenterally, common among intravenous drug users. The strong association between GBV and HIV infection suggests that the two viruses may share similar epidemiological and transmission features. GBV infection is widely believed to prolong HIV disease progression as well as decreasing the HIV viral load and increasing the CD4(+) T-cell level. GBV-driven anti-E2 antibodies have been shown to inhibit HIV replication in vitro. Preliminary studies also suggest that GBV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells leads to increased production of beta-chemokines, which may explain the in vitro inhibitory effects and warrants further studies. With sufficient knowledge of resistance patterns studied in tropical south India, researchers are now keen to study the competitive interactions between GBV-induced chemokines and HIV ligands to bind CCR5.
Shankar
Esaki Muthu
EM
YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), Voluntary Health Services Hospital Campus, IT Corridor, Taramani, Chennai 600 113, India. shankarem@yrgcare.org
Solomon
Sunil Suhas
SS
Vignesh
Ramachandran
R
Murugavel
Kailapuri G
KG
Sundaram
Muthu
M
Solomon
Suniti
S
Balakrishnan
Pachamuthu
P
Kumarasamy
Nagalingeswaran
N
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D029407:GB virus C / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D014762:Viral Interference
D016207:Cytokines