HCV-coinfection is related to an increased HIV-1 reservoir size in cART-treated HIV patients: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 5606
• Main Authors: López-Huertas, Maria Rosa, Palladino, Claudia, Garrido-Arquero, Marta, Esteban-Cartelle, Beatriz, Sánchez-Carrillo, Marta, Martínez-Román, Paula, Martín-Carbonero, Luz, Ryan, Pablo, Domínguez-Domínguez, Lourdes, Santos, Ignacio De Los, Moral, Sara De La Fuente, Benito, José Miguel, Rallón, Norma, Alcamí, José, Resino, Salvador, Fernández-Rodríguez, Amanda, Coiras, Mayte, Briz, Verónica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03.04.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 45/77; 692/699/255/1901; 692/699/255/234/2513/1551; CD25 antigen; CD4 antigen; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD69 antigen; CD8 antigen; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell activation; Chronic infection; Coinfection - immunology; Coinfection - virology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Female; Generalized linear models; Hepacivirus - immunology; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis C - virology; Histocompatibility antigen HLA; HIV; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV Seropositivity - immunology; HIV-1 - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immune clearance; Immune response; Lymphocytes T; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Patients; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Viral Load - methods
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41788-9

In HIV-1/HCV-coinfected patients, chronic HCV infection leads to an increased T-lymphocyte immune activation compared to HIV-monoinfected patients, thereby likely contributing to increase HIV-1 reservoir that is the major barrier for its eradication. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of HCV coinfection in HIV-1 viral reservoir size in resting (r) CD4+ T-cells (CD25-CD69-HLADR-). Multicenter cross-sectional study of 97 cART-treated HIV-1 patients, including 36 patients with HIV and HCV-chronic co-infection without anti-HCV treatment, 32 HIV patients with HCV spontaneous clearance and 29 HIV-monoinfected patients. rCD4+ T-cells were isolated and total DNA was extracted. HIV viral reservoir was measured by Alu-LTR qPCR. Differences between groups were calculated with a generalized linear model. Overall, 63.9% were men, median age of 41 years and Caucasian. Median CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were 725 and 858 cells/mm 3 , respectively. CD4+ T nadir cells was 305 cells/mm 3 . Proviral HIV-1 DNA size was significantly increased in chronic HIV/HCV-coinfected compared to HIV-monoinfected patients (206.21 ± 47.38 vs . 87.34 ± 22.46, respectively; P  = 0.009), as well as in spontaneously clarified HCV co-infected patients when compared to HIV-monoinfected individuals (136.20 ± 33.20; P  = 0.009). HIV-1/HCV co-infected patients showed a larger HIV-1 reservoir size in comparison to HIV-monoinfected individuals. This increase could lead to a greater complexity in the elimination of HIV-1 reservoir in HIV-1/HCV-coinfected individuals, which should be considered in the current strategies for the elimination of HIV-1 reservoir.