title: Select host restriction factors are associated with HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The eradication of HIV necessitates elimination of the HIV latent reservoir. Identifying host determinants governing latency and reservoir size in the setting of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an important step in developing strategies to cure HIV infection. We sought to determine the impact of cell-intrinsic immunity on the HIV latent reservoir.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the relevance of a comprehensive panel of established anti-HIV-1 host restriction factors to multiple established virologic and immunologic measures of viral persistence in HIV-1-infected, ART-suppressed individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the mRNA expression of 42 anti-HIV-1 host restriction factors, levels of cell-associated HIV-1 RNA, levels of total pol and 2-long terminal repeat (2-LTR) circle HIV-1 DNA and immunophenotypes of CD4 T cells in 72 HIV-1-infected individuals on suppressive ART (23 individuals initiated ART less than 1 year post-infection, and 49 individuals initiated ART greater than 1 year post-infection). Correlations were analysed using nonparametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enhanced expression of a few select host restriction factors, p21, schlafen 11 and PAF1, was strongly associated with reduced CD4 T-cell associated HIV RNA during ART (P < 0.001). In addition, our data suggested that ART perturbs the regulatory relationship between CD4 T-cell activation and restriction factor expression. Lastly, cell-intrinsic immune responses were significantly enhanced in individuals who initiated ART during early versus chronic infection and may contribute to the reduced reservoir size observed in these individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intrinsic immune responses modulate HIV persistence during suppressive ART and may be manipulated to enhance the efficacy of ART and promote viral eradication through reversal of latency in vivo.
authors.affiliation: aBlood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco bDepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California cEmory University, Atlanta, Georgia dUniversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla eVeterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego fDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel-Mohsen
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lada
authors.forename: Xutao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Leslie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Cockerham
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pilcher
authors.forename: Frederick M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.forename: Teri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liegler
authors.forename: Douglas D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Richman
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Deeks
authors.forename: Satish K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pillai
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral