CXCR3 Expression Pattern on CD4+ T Cells and IP-10 Levels with Regard to the HIV-1 Reservoir in the Gut-Associated Lymphatic Tissue
Max Augustin,
Carola Horn,
Meryem Seda Ercanoglu,
Ute Sandaradura de Silva,
Vincent Bondet,
Isabelle Suarez,
Seung-Hun Chon,
Dirk Nierhoff,
Elena Knops,
Eva Heger,
Carlo Vivaldi,
Hartmut Schäfer,
Mark Oette,
Gerd Fätkenheuer,
Florian Klein,
Darragh Duffy,
Michaela Müller-Trutwin,
Clara Lehmann
Affiliations
Max Augustin
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Carola Horn
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Meryem Seda Ercanoglu
Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Ute Sandaradura de Silva
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Vincent Bondet
Translational Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, CEDEX 15, 75015 Paris, France
Isabelle Suarez
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Seung-Hun Chon
Department of General, Visceral Surgery and Cancer Surgery, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Dirk Nierhoff
Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Elena Knops
Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Eva Heger
Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Carlo Vivaldi
Clinic for Coloproctology, PanKlinik, 50667 Cologne, Germany
Hartmut Schäfer
Clinic for Coloproctology, PanKlinik, 50667 Cologne, Germany
Mark Oette
Department of General Medicine, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Augustinerinnen Hospital, 50678 Cologne, Germany
Gerd Fätkenheuer
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Florian Klein
Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Darragh Duffy
Translational Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, CEDEX 15, 75015 Paris, France
Michaela Müller-Trutwin
Unité HIV, Inflammation & Persistence, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CEDEX 15, 75015 Paris, France
Clara Lehmann
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department I of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
(1) Background: The gut-associated lymphatic tissue (GALT) represents the largest lymphoid organ, and is considered to be the largest HIV reservoir. The exact size of the GALT reservoir remains unclear. Several markers, such as the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and its pro-inflammatory ligand IP-10, have been proposed to define the size of HIV reservoirs in the peripheral blood (PB). However, little is known about the role of CXCR3 and IP-10 within the GALT. (2) Methods: We compared the CXCR3 expression, IP-10 levels, and cell-associated HIV DNA of distinct memory CD4+ T cell subsets from the terminal ileum (TI), PB and rectum (RE) of 18 HIV+ patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART), 6 HIV+ treatment-naive patients and 16 healthy controls. (3) Results: While the relative distributions of CD4+ T cell subsets were similar in PB, TI and RE, HIV DNA and CXCR3 expression were markedly increased and IP-10 levels were decreased in TI when compared to PB. No significant correlation was found between the CXCR3 expression and memory CD4+ T cell subsets, IP-10 levels and the HIV DNA amounts measured in PB, TI or RE. (4) Conclusions: During a chronic HIV-1 infection, neither CXCR3 nor IP-10 are indicative of the size of the viral reservoir in the GALT (TI and RE).
