title: Unique and differential protein signatures within the mononuclear cells of HIV-1 and HCV mono-infected and co-infected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pathogenesis of liver damage in patients with HIV and HCV co-infection is complex and multifactorial. Although global awareness regarding HIV-1/HCV co-infection is increasing little is known about the pathophysiology that mediates the rapid progression to hepatic disease in the co-infected individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we investigated the proteome profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-1 mono-, HCV mono-, and HIV-1/HCV co-infected patients. The results of high-resolution 2D gel electrophoresis and PD quest software quantitative analysis revealed that several proteins were differentially expressed in HIV-1, HCV, and HIV-1/HCV co-infection. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and Mascot database matching (LC-MS/MS analysis) successfully identified 29 unique and differentially expressed proteins. These included cytoskeletal proteins (tropomyosin, gelsolin, DYPLSL3, DYPLSL4 and profilin-1), chaperones and co-chaperones (HSP90-beta and stress-induced phosphoprotein), metabolic and pre-apoptotic proteins (guanosine triphosphate [GTP]-binding nuclear protein Ran, the detoxifying enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor (Rho-GDI), proteins involved in cell prosurvival mechanism, and those involved in matrix synthesis (collagen binding protein 2 [CBP2]). The six most significant and relevant proteins were further validated in a group of mono- and co-infected patients (n = 20) at the transcriptional levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The specific pro- and anti- apoptotic protein signatures revealed in this study could facilitate the understanding of apoptotic and protective immune-mediated mechanisms underlying HIV-1 and HCV co-infection and their implications on liver disease progression in co-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, Drexel University College of Medicine, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA, USA. pjain@drexelmed.edu.
authors.forename: Nawal M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Boukli
authors.forename: Vivekananda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cubano
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricaurte
authors.forename: Jordana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coelho-Dos-Reis
authors.forename: Zacharie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nickens
authors.forename: Punit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Talal
authors.forename: Ramila
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jain