Lecture 14 - HIV - Natural History, Treatment, Prevention Flashcards
What is the clinical hallmark of HIV infection?
CD4+ T cell depletion
When is HIV first seen in plasma?
After a couple of weeks
What is the virus doing during clinical latency?
Steady state: virus production is equal to virus loss
Describe the changes in CD4+ T cell number
Primary infection: acute depletion
Seroconversion: increases somewhat
Clinical latency: gradual loss
AIDS: less than 200 cells per mm3
Describe the changes in the GIT mucosa during HIV infection, and how this leads to immune activation
- Mucosal depletion of CD4+ T cells in the Peyer’s patches
- Increased microbial translocation, due to decreased defences
- These bacteria activation TLRs, and thus trigger the immune system
What illnesses are seen at the various stages of HIV infection?
- Primary infection
• Features of normal viral infection (fever, myalgia) - Clinical latency
• Autoimmune disorders
NB these are not disorders that signal to GPs that the patient may have HIV infection
• Tuberculosis - AIDS:
• Disorders that are only really seen in people who are highly immunosuppressed (PCP, Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkins Lymphoma)
Describe CD4+ T cell homeostasis
- Production in bone marrow
- Development in thymus
- Proliferation of naïve cells
- Differentiation into effector cells and memory cells
How does HIV infection lead to decline in CD4+ T cells?
- Increased destruction
a. Direct infection kills the cell
b. Indirect effects
“SAIL”
• Syncitium formation
• Apoptosis
• Immune activation
• Lymph node fibrosis - Impaired production
• in the thymus
• progenitor cell suppression / loss
Describe Syncytium formation
Virally infected cell expresses viral proteins and glycoproteins on the cell surface
Many uninfected CD4+ T cells start to gather around the infected cell and fuse membranes
This is called syncytia.
These huge fusion of cells dies, and a single virion has killed many CD4+ T cells by infecting only one cell.
Describe the indirect killing of CD4+ T cells by HIV
"SAIL" • Syncytium formation • Apoptosis • Immune activation • Lymph node fibrosis
Why is CD4+ T cell depletion variable?
Viral factors
• CXCR4 virus → accelerated T cell loss
• Nef deleted virus
Host factors
• Genetic: CCR5 del32 heterozygote
• Age: thymic function dependent on age
• Immune response: HLA type
What is the effect of Nef deleted virus?
No HIV infection in the host
Describe the effect of HLA on HIV infection
Certain HLA alleles are associated with good progression, whilst others are associated with poor progression
What happens to CD8+ T cells in HIV infection?
Great number stimulated during acute phase
Later on, decline, because they are exhausted
What happens to NK cells in HIV infection?
Decreased numbers
Describe HIV-induced immunopathology
- Depletion / dysfunction of immune cells
* Chronic immune activation
What is the CMV-specific response?
Expansion of the memory T cells for CMV
This is seen in response to HIV infection
Part of aberrant immune activation in HIV infection
What happens to Tregs in HIV infection?
Depleted
Which monkeys develop AIDS when exposed to HIV?
Rhesus Macaques:
• develop AIDS when exposed to SIV
Sooty Mangabeys:
• have very high levels of the virus, but remain healthy
Compare CD4+ T cell decline in the various monkeys
RM: depletion
SM: no depletion
Compare immune activation in the various monkeys
RM: yes
SM: no
Compare LPS level in the various monkeys
RM: increased
SM: low
Compare CD4+ T cell depletion in the GIT in the various monkeys
RM: depleted
SM: normal
Describe HAART
What are some of the classes of anti-retroviral drug?
Combination of several (3) different classes of retroviral drugs
Classes: • Cellular chemokine receptor antagonists • Fusion inhibitors • RT inhibitors • Integrase inhibitors • Protease inhibitors
It is very important that several classes are used in combination.
This ensures that the virus does not rapidly evolve resistance to the treatment