CCR5 is the major coreceptor used by HIV-1 subtype C isolates from patients with active tuberculosis

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2001 May 20;17(8):697-701. doi: 10.1089/088922201750236979.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the major opportunistic infection of HIV-infected patients in developing countries and is associated with activation of the immune system and increased HIV-1 expression. The aim of this study was to explore the biological properties of HIV-1 isolates from patients with active TB. Ten HIV-1 subtype C isolates were analyzed for biological phenotypes, using MT-2 cells, and for coreceptor usage, using coreceptor-transfected cell lines. All isolates were nonsyncytium inducing (NSI) in the MT-2 assay and replicated in CCR5-expressing cells. None of the isolates used CXCR4 or any of the minor coreceptors (CCR1, CCR2b, or CCR3) efficiently. Analysis of the V3 region showed that all isolates contained the GPGQ motif characteristic of subtype C and also had a sequence profile typical of NSI viruses. These data indicate that despite their advanced disease state, patients with TB harbor viruses that use the CCR5 coreceptor. It is possible that activation of monocytes and macrophages during TB infection results in the expansion of macrophage-tropic isolates that preferentially use CCR5.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / complications
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / virology*
  • Acute Disease
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Giant Cells
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / genetics
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • HIV-1 / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR5 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, HIV / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Tuberculosis / complications
  • Tuberculosis / virology*
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321)
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • Receptors, HIV