Infection of human monocytes with Mycobacterium tuberculosis enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication and transmission to T cells

J Infect Dis. 1997 Jun;175(6):1531-5. doi: 10.1086/516494.

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are virulent intracellular pathogens that invade and multiply within macrophages. The effect of M. tuberculosis on HIV-1 infection and replication was analyzed in vitro using human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation. Preinfection of MDM with M. tuberculosis followed by HIV-1 infection resulted in an increase in p24 release, reverse transcriptase activity, and infective virus production. In contrast, no increase in HIV-1 production was observed when MDM were infected with Mycobacterium avium complex or heat-killed M. tuberculosis. Coinfected MDM were potent stimulators of T cell proliferation, while HIV-1-infected MDM failed to present exogenous tuberculin to T cells. Furthermore, coinfected MDM showed an increased capacity to transmit HIV-1 to activated T cells. These results suggest that M. tuberculosis infection can both up-regulate HIV-1 infection and replication within MDM and increase the efficiency of virus transmission from infected MDM to T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • HIV Core Protein p24 / biosynthesis
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / metabolism
  • HIV-1 / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Macrophages / virology
  • Monocytes / microbiology*
  • Monocytes / virology
  • Mycobacterium avium Complex / physiology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / physiology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / virology*
  • Tuberculin / pharmacology
  • Virus Replication / physiology*

Substances

  • HIV Core Protein p24
  • Tuberculin
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase