HIV tropism evaluation in HTLV-I/II co-infected individuals in Brazil

• Grant number: 15/50534-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2016
• End date: May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology
• Agreement: University of California, Davis (UC Davis)
• Mobility Program: SPRINT - Projetos de pesquisa - Mobilidade
• Principal Investigator: Jorge Simao do Rosario Casseb
• Grantee: Jorge Simao do Rosario Casseb
• Principal researcher abroad: James Hildreth
• Institution abroad: University of California, Davis (UC Davis), United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (IMT). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/22827-7 - Prevalence and incidence of early central nervous system disturbance in HTLV-1-infected subjects in Brazil, AP.R

Abstract

Sexual transmission is the most prevalent form of HIV spread in women in Brazil but the role that co-infections play in HIV transmission has not been established €n HIV positive patients, co-infection with HTLV-1/2 is quite frequent especially in drug users and sex workers_ In Brazil, 10% of HIV infected patients are also co-infected with HTLV-112. Preliminary studies using T lymphocytes co-infected with HIV-1 and HTLV-112 demonstrated that virus that bud from these cells have a broader cellular tropism_ These viruses are able to infect not only CD4* cells, the main targets of HIV infection, but also CD8+ lymphocytes, B cells, epithelial cells and muscle cells. Main objective: We aim to evaluate if HIV viruses produced in patients also co-infected with HTLV-1/2 are able to infect CD4 negative cells. Specific Objectives: 1) To determine if HIV proviral DNA is integrated in CD4 positive and negative cells in patients infected with HIV-1 only or infected with H1V-1 and HTLV-1 or HTLV-Z 2) Test if replication competent H1V is produced upon stimulation of these cells in vitro: 3) Determine if virus produced from cells co-infected with HIV-1 and HTLV-1 or 2 is able to infect CD4 negative cells in vitro. Material and Methods: HIV patients co-infected or not (control group) with HTLV-1 and 2 will be contacted to participate as a volunteer in the study and will be asked to enroll through informed consent. The clinical and preliminary laboratory data will be collected through review of their medical files and blood will be collected for laboratory analysis. This pilot study has a long-term goal to explore if HTLV-1 or 2 co-infection in HIV-1 infected individuals affects HIV-1 sexual transmission and viral pathogenesis. (AU)