Retrovirology (Sep 2008)

beta-estradiol attenuates the anti-HIV-1 efficacy of Stavudine (D4T) in primary PBL

  • Hewlett Indira,
  • Rios Maria,
  • Daniel Sylvester,
  • Chancey Caren,
  • Yuan Weishi,
  • Wood Owen,
  • Huang Yong,
  • Huang Qingsheng,
  • Zhang Mingjie,
  • Clouse Kathleen A,
  • Dayton Andrew I

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4690-5-82
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 1
p. 82

Abstract

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Abstract Background Female hormones are known to play an important role in predisposition for many infectious diseases. Recent work suggests there are gender effects in HIV/AIDS progression. Here we ask whether the sex steroid hormone β-estradiol affects the replication of HIV-1 or the efficacy of a common anti-retroviral drug, Stavudine (D4T). Results Human PBL were infected with HIV-1 in the presence or absence of combinations of sex steroid hormones and the anti-retroviral drug, D4T. After seven days in culture, viral supernatants were assayed for HIV-1 p24 protein. β-estradiol resulted in a modest inhibition of HIV-1 replication of ~26%. However, 2 nM β-estradiol increased the amount of HIV-1 replication in the presence of 50 nM D4T from a baseline of 33% (+/- SE = 5.4) to 74% (+/- SE = 5.4) of control virus levels in the absence of drug. Both results were statistically highly significant (p Conclusion β-estradiol inhibited both HIV-1 replication in primary human PBL and the antiretroviral efficacy of D4T in PBL cultures. To optimize antiretroviral drug therapy, it may be necessary to monitor patient hormonal status.