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The Tat Protein of HIV-1 Prevents the Loss of HSV-Specific Memory Adaptive Responses and Favors the Control of Viral Reactivation. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8020274. [PMID: 32512757 PMCID: PMC7349931 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of therapeutic strategies to control the reactivation of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is an unaddressed priority. In this study, we evaluated whether Tat, a HIV-1 protein displaying adjuvant functions, could improve previously established HSV-specific memory responses and prevent viral reactivation. To this aim, mice were infected with non-lethal doses of HSV-1 and, 44 days later, injected or not with Tat. Mice were then monitored to check their health status and measure memory HSV-specific cellular and humoral responses. The appearance of symptoms associated with HSV-reactivation was observed at significantly higher frequencies in the control group than in the Tat-treated mice. In addition, the control animals experienced a time-dependent decrease in HSV-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG), while the Tat-treated mice maintained antibody titers over time. IgG levels were directly correlated with the number of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells, suggesting an effect of Tat on both arms of the adaptive immunity. Consistent with the maintenance of HSV-specific immune memory, Tat-treated mice showed a better control of HSV-1 re-infection. Although further studies are necessary to assess whether similar effects are observed in other models, these results indicate that Tat exerts a therapeutic effect against latent HSV-1 infection and re-infection by favoring the maintenance of adaptive immunity.
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The HIV-1 Tat protein affects human CD4+ T-cell programing and activation, and favors the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells. AIDS 2018; 32:575-581. [PMID: 29280760 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000001734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE HIV infection is characterized by several immune dysfunctions, such as chronic activation of the immune system, premature aging and loss of CD4 T cells, in particular within the naïve compartment. The Tat protein of HIV is released extracellularly and enters neighboring cells affecting their functionality, for instance impacting on CD8 T-cell programs and activity. As the presence and/or induction of anti-Tat immune responses is associated with reduced T-cell dysfunction and CD4 T-cell loss, we investigated whether Tat impacts human resting or activated CD4 T cells. METHODS Purified CD4 T cells were activated by T cell receptor engagement in the presence or absence of Tat. Cytokine production, surface phenotype and expression of transcription factors important for T-cell programing were measured. Purified naïve CD4 T cells were cultured in nonpolarizing conditions in the presence or absence of Tat and their proliferation and differentiation was evaluated. RESULTS Tat favors the secretion of IL2, IFNγ and TNFα in CD4 T cells, as well as the upregulation of T-bet and Eomes expression. Naïve CD4 T cells cultured in the presence of Tat showed enhanced expansion and differentiation toward memory phenotype, showing in particular recruitment into the effector memory T-cell pool. CONCLUSION Tat affects the programing and functionality of CD4 T lymphocytes favoring the differentiation of naïve CD4 T cells.
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Nicoli F, Chachage M, Clowes P, Bauer A, Kowour D, Ensoli B, Cafaro A, Maboko L, Hoelscher M, Gavioli R, Saathoff E, Geldmacher C. Association between different anti-Tat antibody isotypes and HIV disease progression: data from an African cohort. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16:344. [PMID: 27450538 PMCID: PMC4957276 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-016-1647-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The presence of IgG and IgM against Tat, an HIV protein important for viral replication and immune dysfunction, is associated with slow disease progression in clade B HIV-infected individuals. However, although Tat activities strictly depend on the viral clade, our knowledge about the importance of anti-Tat antibodies in non-clade B HIV infection is poor. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of different anti-Tat antibody isotypes with disease progression in non-clade B HIV-infected subjects and to study the relationship between anti-Tat humoral responses and immunological abnormalities. METHODS Anti-clade B and -clade C Tat IgG, IgM and IgA titers were assessed in serum samples from 96 cART-naïve subjects with chronic HIV infection from Mbeya, Tanzania, and associated with CD4(+) T cell count, plasma viremia and CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell phenotypes. RESULTS Anti-Tat IgM were preferentially detected in chronic HIV-infected subjects with low T cell activation (p-value = 0.03) and correlated with higher CD4(+) T cell counts and lower viral loads irrespective of the duration of infection (p-value = 0.019 and p-value = 0.037 respectively). Conversely, anti-Tat IgA were preferentially detected in individuals with low CD4(+) T cell counts and high viral load (p-value = 0.02 and p-value < 0.001 respectively). The simultaneous presence of anti-Tat IgG and IgM protected from fast CD4(+) T cell decline (p-value < 0.01) and accumulation of CD38(+)HLADR(+)CD8(+) T cells (p- value = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS Anti-Tat IgG alone are not protective in non-clade B infected subjects, unless concomitant with IgM, suggesting a protective role of persistent anti-Tat IgM irrespective of the infecting clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nicoli
- Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstraße 7, 80802, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. .,Current address: CIMI INSERM U1135, 91 bd del'Hopital, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Mkunde Chachage
- Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstraße 7, 80802, Munich, Germany.,National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Petra Clowes
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Asli Bauer
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Dickens Kowour
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Barbara Ensoli
- National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Aurelio Cafaro
- National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Leonard Maboko
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Michael Hoelscher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Riccardo Gavioli
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elmar Saathoff
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christof Geldmacher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
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