Th17 cells and HIV infection

Abstract

Purpose of review This review summarizes the recent literature about the potential perturbation and role of Th17 cells in HIV pathogenesis. We discuss the recent findings on Th17 deficiency in HIV/SIV infection and how this may impact the mucosal host defenses, potentially contributing to chronic immune activation. Recent findings Th17 cells have been implicated in host defense against a variety of pathogens and are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Recently Th17 cells were shown to be perturbed during HIV infection in humans and SIV infection in non-human primates. Th17 cells were found to be infected in vitro by HIV and SIV and are significantly depleted in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of HIV-infected individuals. In monkeys, Th17 cells are only depleted in the pathogenic SIV infection of rhesus macaques, which correlates with the progression to AIDS in these primates, while they remain intact in the non-pathogenic SIV infection of African Green Monkeys or Sooty Mangabeys. Summary Th17 cells appear to be perturbed during HIV and SIV infection. This finding could have important implications in understanding the disruption of mucosal defenses in the GI tract and potentially in predicting opportunistic infections during the course of HIV disease.

Interplay of Regulatory T Cell and Th17 Cells during Infectious Diseases in Humans and Animals

“…Infected Th17 cells are cleared by the virus itself, or by cytotoxic CD8 + T cells. As Th17 cells are critical for maintaining the integrity of mucosal barriers, their depletion could disrupt these barriers and initiate generalized immune activation (178, 179). The Th17 cells that influence the outcome of HIV infection may not necessarily be specific for viral antigens.…”

Loss of RORγt DNA Binding Activity Inhibits IL-17 Expression in HIV-1 Infected Indian Individuals

“…However, Th17 lineage appears to be involved in the immune system's fight against HIV infection (10,11,14,16,21); it is still unclear what are the molecular determinants involved in its regulation during HIV infection. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand that how HIV modulate Th17 cells, either directly or indirectly by altering their differentiation program during the immune combat against HIV.…”

“…Pathogenic SIV, as well as HIV infection, results in rapid and significant Th17 loss from the gastrointestinal tract (GI) which would be expected to have deleterious effects on the regulation of microbial translocation (6,8,). Though it is clear that during the HIV infection Th17 cells are substantially depleted from the GI tract, varying data regarding its cellular dynamics in peripheral blood during HIV infection demand more fundamental research in peripheral blood (10,16).…”

Exosomes Decrease In Vitro Infectivity of HIV-1 Preparations: Implication for CD4+T Lymphocyte Depletion In Vivo

“…It is well established that dendritic cells (DCs) are involved early in HIV-1 transmission (Granelli-Piperno et al, 1998;Manel et al, 2010;Tsunetsugu-Yokota et al, 1997). It is also known that CD4TL, more particularly the Th17 mucosal subset (Cecchinato and Franchini, 2010;Cecchinato et al, 2008;Elhed and Unutmaz, 2010;Favre et al, 2009;Milush et al, 2011;Paiardini, 2010) are dysregulated (Elbim et al, 2009;Hofman et al, 1999;Okada, Takei, and Tashiro, 1997;Okada, Takei, and Tashiro, 1998;Pitrak et al, 1996;Roilides et al, 1993;Roilides et al, 1990;Szelc et al, 1992;Thorsen, Busch-Sorensen, and Sondergaard, 1989) in pathogenic HIV-1/SIV infection (Brenchley et al, 2008;Elbim et al, 2009;Elbim et al, 2008;Favre et al, 2009). A rapid decrease thus occurs in the numbers of both infected and uninfected CD4TL within the very first weeks of infection.…”