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.
Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, and Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, Canada.
Juliette
J
Diou
Sonia
S
Gauthier
Mélanie R
MR
Tardif
Rémi
R
Fromentin
Robert
R
Lodge
David J
DJ
Sullivan
Michel J
MJ
Tremblay
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