Editorial: HIV-Induced Damage of B Cells and Production of HIV Neutralizing Antibodies

HIV Infection Predisposes to Increased Chances of HBV Infection: Current Understanding of the Mechanisms Favoring HBV Infection at Each Clinical Stage of HIV Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) selectively targets and destroys the infection-fighting CD4+ T-lymphocytes of the human immune system, and has a life cycle that encompasses binding to certain cells, fusion to that cell, reverse transcription of its genome, integration of its genome into the host cell DNA, replication of the HIV genome, assembly of the HIV virion, and budding and subsequent release of free HIV virions. Once a host is infected with HIV, the host’s ability to competently orchestrate effective and efficient immune responses against various microorganisms, such as viral infections, is significantly disrupted. Without modern antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV is likely to gradually destroy the cellular immune system, and thus the initial HIV infection will inexorably evolve into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Generally, HIV infection in a patient has an acute phase, a chronic phase, and an AIDS phase. During these three clinical stages, patients are found with relatively specific levels of viral RNA, develop rather distinctive immune conditions, and display unique clinical manifestations. Convergent research evidence has shown that hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection, a common cause of chronic liver disease, is fairly common in HIV-infected individuals. HBV invasion of the liver can be facilitated by HIV infection at each clinical stage of the infection due to a number of contributing factors, including having identical transmission routes, immunological suppression, gut microbiota dysbiosis, poor vaccination immune response to hepatitis B immunization, and drug hepatotoxicity. However, there remains a paucity of research investigation which critically describes the influence of the different HIV clinical stages and their consequences which tend to favor HBV entrenchment in the liver. Herein, we review advances in the understanding of the mechanisms favoring HBV infection at each clinical stage of HIV infection, thus paving the way toward development of potential strategies to reduce the prevalence of HBV co-infection in the HIV-infected population.

Distinct Features of Germinal Center Reactions in Macaques Infected by SIV or Vaccinated with a T-Dependent Model Antigen

B-cell follicles constitute large reservoirs of infectious HIV/SIV associated to follicular dendritic cells and infecting follicular helper (T_FH) and regulatory (T_FR) T-cells in germinal centers (GCs). Thus, follicular and GC B-cells are persistently exposed to viral antigens. Despite recent development of potent HIV immunogens, numerous questions are still open regarding GC reaction during early HIV/SIV infection. Here, we dissect the dynamics of B- and T-cells in GCs of macaques acutely infected by SIV (Group SIV⁺) or vaccinated with Tetanus Toxoid (Group TT), a T-dependent model antigen. Systemic inflammation and mobilization of antigen-presenting cells in inguinal lymph nodes and spleen are lower in Group TT than in Group SIV⁺. Despite spleen GC reaction of higher magnitude in Group SIV^+, the development of protective immunity could be limited by abnormal helper functions of T_FH massively polarized into T_FH1-like cells, by inflammation-induced recruitment of fCD8 (either regulatory or cytotoxic) and by low numbers of T_FR limiting T_FH/T_FR competition for high affinity B-cells. Increased GC B-cells apoptosis and accumulation of CD21^lo memory B-cells, unable to further participate to GC reaction, likely contribute to eliminate SIV-specific B-cells and decrease antibody affinity maturation. Surprisingly, functional GCs and potent TT-specific antibodies develop despite low levels of CXCL13.

Impact of BAFF Blockade on Inflammation, Germinal Center Reaction and Effector B-Cells During Acute SIV Infection

Memory B-cell dysfunctions and inefficient antibody response suggest germinal center (GC) impairments during HIV/SIV infection with possible contribution of overproduced B-cell activating factor (BAFF). To address this question, we compared proportions and functions of various B-cell subsets and follicular helper T-cells (T_FH) in untreated (Placebo) and BR3-Fc treated (Treated) SIV-infected macaques. From day 2 post-infection (dpi), Treated macaques received one weekly injection of BR3-Fc molecule, a soluble BAFF antagonist, for 4 weeks. Whereas, the kinetics of CD4⁺ T-cell loss and plasma viral loads were comparable in both groups, BAFF blockade delayed the peak of inflammatory cytokines (CXCL10, IFNα), impaired the renewal of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and fostered the decline of plasma CXCL13 titers after 14 dpi. In Treated macaques, proportions of total and naïve B-cells were reduced in blood and spleen whereas SIV-induced loss of marginal zone (MZ) B-cells was only accentuated in blood and terminal ileum. Proportions of spleen GC B-cells and T_FH were similar in both groups, with CD8⁺ T-cells and rare Foxp3⁺ being present in spleen GC. Regardless of treatment, sorted T_FH produced similar levels of IL21, CXCL13, and IFNγ but no IL2, IL4, or BAFF and exhibited similar capacities to support IgG production by autologous or heterologous B-cells. Consistently, most T_FH were negative for BAFF-R and TACI. Higher proportions of resting and atypical (CD21^lo) memory B-cells were present in Treated macaques compared to Placebo. In both groups, we found higher levels of BAFF-R expression on MZ and resting memory B-cells but low levels on atypical memory B-cells. TACI was present on 20-30% of MZ, resting and atypical memory B-cells in Placebo macaques. BAFF blockade decreased TACI expression on these B-cell subsets as well as titers of SIV-specific and vaccine-specific antibodies arguing for BAFF being mandatory for plasma cell survival. Irrespective of treatment, GC B-cells expressed BAFF-R at low level and were negative for TACI. In addition to key information on spleen BAFF-R and TACI expression, our data argue for BAFF contributing to the GC reaction in terminal ileum but being dispensable for the generation of atypical memory B-cells and GC reaction in spleen during T-dependent response against SIV.

GLOBAL PROPERTIES OF HIV DYNAMICS MODELS INCLUDING IMPAIRMENT OF B-CELL FUNCTIONS

In this paper, we develop mathematical models that include impairment of B-cell functions in order to study HIV dynamics. Two forms of the incidence rate have been considered, bilinear and general nonlinear. Three types of infected cells have been incorporated into the models, namely latently infected, short-lived productively infected and long-lived productively infected. The models have at most two equilibria, whose existence is characterized by means of the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text]. The global stability of each equilibrium is proven by using the Lyapunov method. The effects of impairment of B-cell functions and of antiviral treatment on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dynamics are studied. We have shown that if the functions of B-cell are impaired, then the concentration of HIV increases in the plasma. Moreover, we have determined the minimal drug efficacy which is required to reduce the concentration of HIV particles to a lower level. We have shown that a more accurate computation of drug efficacy can be performed by using our proposed model. Our theoretical results are illustrated by means of numerical simulations.

Global Properties of a Delay-Distributed HIV Dynamics Model Including Impairment of B-Cell Functions

In this paper, we construct an Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dynamics model with impairment of B-cell functions and the general incidence rate. We incorporate three types of infected cells, (i) latently-infected cells, which contain the virus, but do not generate HIV particles, (ii) short-lived productively-infected cells, which live for a short time and generate large numbers of HIV particles, and (iii) long-lived productively-infected cells, which live for a long time and generate small numbers of HIV particles. The model considers five distributed time delays to characterize the time between the HIV contact of an uninfected CD4 + T-cell and the creation of mature HIV. The nonnegativity and boundedness of the solutions are proven. The model admits two equilibria, infection-free equilibrium E P 0 and endemic equilibrium E P 1 . We derive the basic reproduction number R 0 , which determines the existence and stability of the two equilibria. The global stability of each equilibrium is proven by utilizing the Lyapunov function and LaSalle’s invariance principle. We prove that if R 0 < 1 , then E P 0 is globally asymptotically stable, and if R 0 > 1 , then E P 1 is globally asymptotically stable. These theoretical results are illustrated by numerical simulations. The effect of impairment of B-cell functions, time delays, and antiviral treatment on the HIV dynamics are studied. We show that if the functions of B-cells are impaired, then the concentration of HIV is increased in the plasma. Moreover, we observe that the time delay has a similar effect to drug efficacy. This gives some impression for developing a new class of treatments to increase the delay period and then suppress the HIV replication.