HIV immune evasion and implication for vaccine design Flashcards
What form is the gp160 protein in?
In trimers of gp41 (TM) and gp120 (globular) proteins.
Polypeptides encoded by GAG and POL?
GAG: matrix, capsid and nucleocapsid
POL: Integrase, reverse trascriptase and protease
Two tropisms of HIV?
CCR5 and CXCR4 (more pathogenic)
What happens in acute phase of HIV infection?
Large viral replication which causes drop in CD4 T cells.
Large immune response against infection which dramatically reduces viral replication to a persistent level.
CD4 T cells levels recover.
What happens in asymptomatic phase of HIV infection?
virus still replicates at persistent level.
CD4 T cells will be made by thmus, but will gradually drop with impairment of thymus function with age.
GALT damage thought to cause chronic grade immune activation and inflammation.
What happens in end stage of infectoin?
Viral replication increases rapdily.
Rapid decrease in CD4 T cells.
Impairment of immune system and susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
AIDS.
Why is fever seen in acute infection?
Becuase of high levels of inflammation and ctyokines.
How do persistent viral load compare between individuals?
Varies with individuals, and can predict the speed of AIDS progression.
Where does HIV infect and damage initially?
Mucosal barrier, infection of founder cells in lamina propria and GALT damaged.
Infection establishment timeline 5 stages
Founder cell infection in lamina propria.
Small foci of infection.
local spread.
Dissemination into local lymphoid tissues.
Dissemination into all lymph nodes.
When is it too late to eliminate HIV in acute infection?
After dissemination to lymph nodes and establishment of the reservoir of latent cells.
3 broad factors that can affect the persisting viral load of HIV?
- Properties f infecting virus
- Host genetics
3 Efficiency of initial immune response.
What factors involve in properties of infecting virus that influence persistent load?
- CCR5/ CXCR4 virus.
2. Virus genetics e..g deletions in Nev reduces pathogenicity.
What factors involved host genetics that influences persistent load?
Homozygous/ heterozygous for CCR5 deletion.
HLA B57:01 MHC allele is protective, very low persistent viral load.
What cytokines are upregulated locally and systemically in response to HIV, and what are their sources?
type 1 IFNs (particularly by pDCs) and IL-15. Then TNF-a ad IL-18 slightly later.
Why might inital innate cyotkine production be beneficial?
Stimulate type 1 IFN reponses (interfereon stimulated genes ISG).
Has an adjuvant effect, activates innate and adaptive immune cells.
Why might initial innate cytokine production be bad?
Can recruit ACTIVATED CD4+ immune cells to infecction site to fuel infection.
Unlike HBV and HCV, HIV hasn’t evolved to block this cytokine response.
Pro apoptotic effects of IFNa and TNFa could contribute to CD4 cell loss.
What does a reduced antiviral gene expression upon infection show?
Increased reservoir size, and faster CD4 T cell depletion and progression to AIDS.