Washington [US]:Even though antiretroviral therapy has made HIV a manageable disease, people living with it often suffer from chronic inflammation. This can put them at an increased risk of developing comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive dysfunction, impacting the longevity and quality of their lives. Now, a new study in Cell Reports explains why chronic inflammation may be happening and how suppression or even eradication of HIV in the body may not resolve it.
In the study, researchers from George Washington University show how an HIV protein permanently alters immune cells in a way that causes them to overreact to other pathogens. When the protein is introduced to immune cells, genes in those cells associated with inflammation turn on, or become expressed, the study showed.
These pro-inflammatory genes remain expressed, even when the HIV protein is no longer in the cells. According to the researchers, this "immunologic memory" of the original HIV infection is why people living with HIV are susceptible to prolonged inflammation, putting them at greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease and other comorbidities.
"This research highlights the importance of physicians and patients recognizing that suppressing or even eliminating HIV does not eliminate the risk of these dangerous comorbidities," Michael Bukrinsky, professor of microbiology, immunology, and tropical medicine at GW's School of Medicine and Health Science and lead author on the study, said. "Patients and their doctors should still discuss ways to reduce inflammation and researchers should continue pursuing potential therapeutic targets that can reduce inflammation and co-morbidities in HIV-infected patients."