Ingestion of the malaria pigment hemozoin renders human macrophages less permissive to HIV-1 infection.
Few studies have investigated the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for what seems to be a possible interaction between Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, and HIV-1 in dually infected patients. It has been shown that Plasmodium parasites detoxify heme molecules into a pigment called hemozoin (HZ), which can significantly modulate the immune system. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether exposure of human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to the malaria pigment influences the process of HIV-1 infection. We report here that HIV-1 replication is significantly diminished in HZ-loaded MDMs. The HZ-mediated reduction in virus replication is due to a block at a step in the virus life cycle occurring between the completion of full-length reverse transcripts and integration of viral DNA within the host chromosome. Understanding the pathological mechanisms involved in P. falciparum and HIV-1 co-infection is of high importance because of possible therapeutic ramifications.
Diou
Juliette
J
Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, and Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, Canada.
Gauthier
Sonia
S
Tardif
Mélanie R
MR
Fromentin
Rémi
R
Lodge
Robert
R
Sullivan
David J
DJ
Tremblay
Michel J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000276:immunology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000276:immunology*
D006420:Hemeproteins; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C020753:hemozoin