The simultaneous presence and expression of human hepatitis C virus (HCV), human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) in a single human T-cell

Abstract

We have developed a system that isolates and replicates HCV in vitro. These isolates are called CIMM-HCV. This system has made it possible to analyze the biology, nature, and extent of HCV variability, among other things. Individuals that are infected with HIV-1 are often also infected with HCV and HHV-6. In addition to HCV, our lab has systems for replicating HIV-1 and HHV-6. We asked whether all these viruses could infect the same cells. We report here the successful infection of a T-cell (CEM) by CIMM-HCV, HHV-6, and HIV-1. PCR analyses demonstrated that the CEM cells were productively infected by HHV-6A. RT-PCR showed that the same cell culture was positive for HCV and HIV-1. Co-infection of a T-cell by all three viruses was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All these viruses are highly cytolytic; therefore, triplyinfected cells were short lived. However, HIV-1 and HCV co-infected cells unexpectedly lasted for several weeks. Viral replication was unhindered and the phenomenon of 'dominance' was not observed in our experiments. In addition, CIMM-HCV was present in the perinuclear space, suggesting their possible synthesis in the nucleus. This report is based entirely on viruses produced in vitro in our laboratories. As part of the determinations of host ranges of these viruses, studies were designed to demonstrate the infection of a single cell by these viruses and to study the consequences of this phenomenon. All measurements were made on cultured cells and cell culture supernatants.

Human cell types important for Hepatitis C Virus replication in vivo and in vitro. Old assertions and current evidence

“…Comparison of sequences of the 5'UTR for HCV samples containing deletions or that were genotype 3 provided evidence that cord blood macrophages select for 5'UTR sequences similar to HCV genotype 1 [ 144 , 145 ]. As both macrophages and T cells can be infected by HCV using this system, the system has been used to co-infect T cells with HCV, HIV, and HHV-6 [ 146 ]. Cells containing all three viruses were observed (Figures 4 and 5 ), demonstrating that this isolation system can be used to study co-infection by these three viruses.…”

“… Electron micrograph of mature (black arrow) and immature (red arrow) HCV from in vitro infected T-cell . Picture adapted from reference [ 146 ]. …”

Roseolovirus-associated encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals

“…Human herpesvirus 6 species A and B (HHV-6A and HHV-6B; Ablashi et al 1991 ; Dagna et al 2013 ; Salahuddin et al 2007 ) and HHV-7 (Frenkel et al 1990 ) have been regarded as lymphotropic and neurotropic viruses (Ablashi et al 2000 ; Chapenko et al 2016 ; Savolainen et al 2005 ). In Africa, 86–100% of infants acquire HHV-6A without specific symptoms (Bates et al 2009 ; Hall et al 2006 ; Kasolo et al 1997 ; Sjahril et al 2009 ), but a recent study has shown that in biobanked sera specimens from hospitalized Zambian children between 3 weeks and 2 years of age who were admitted with febrile illness, HHV-6B DNAemia was predominant over HHV-6A (20.5 % versus 0.3 %; Tembo et al 2015 ).…”

In Vitro and In Vivo Transactivation of HIV-1 by Human Herpesvirus 6

“…Individual cells were able to support replication of all three viruses without dominance of one virus. All these viruses are highly cytolytic, and therefore triplyinfected cells were short lived (Salahuddin et al, 2007). There are several reports concerning the inhib i t o r y e f f e c t o f H H V -6 o n H I V -1 i n c e l l cultures.…”