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- Title
- Characterization of Innate Immunity in the Female Reproductive Tract for the Prevention of HIV Acquisition.
- Creator
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Eade, Colleen, Cole, Alexander, Jewett, Travis, Naser, Saleh, Khaled, Annette, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects 30 million people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by HIV, women comprise 60% of the infected population. Heterosexual transmission is a major mode of viral acquisition, mandating further research of the process and prevention of HIV acquisition via the female reproductive tract (FRT). The FRT is a dynamic environment, protected by host immune mechanisms and commensal microbes. The disruption of either of these elements can...
Show moreHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects 30 million people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by HIV, women comprise 60% of the infected population. Heterosexual transmission is a major mode of viral acquisition, mandating further research of the process and prevention of HIV acquisition via the female reproductive tract (FRT). The FRT is a dynamic environment, protected by host immune mechanisms and commensal microbes. The disruption of either of these elements can increase susceptibility to HIV. Accordingly, one common risk factor for HIV acquisition is the microbial shift condition known as bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is characterized by the displacement of healthy lactobacilli by an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. As the bacteria responsible for BV pathogenicity and their interactions with host immunity are not understood, we sought to evaluate the effects of BV-associated bacteria on reproductive epithelia. Here we have characterized the interaction between BV-associated bacteria and the female reproductive tract by measuring cytokine and defensin induction in FRT epithelial cells following bacterial inoculation. Four BV-associated bacteria were evaluated alongside six lactobacilli for a comparative assessment. Our model showed good agreement with clinical BV trends; we observed a distinct cytokine and human ?-defensin-2 response to BV-associated bacteria, especially Atopobium vaginae, compared to most lactobacilli. One lactobacillus species, Lactobacillus vaginalis, induced an immune response similar to that elicited by BV-associated bacteria. These data provide an important prioritization of BV-associated bacteria and support further characterization of reproductive bacteria and their interactions with host epithelia. We next evaluated the effect of this interaction on HIV infection by investigating the soluble effectors secreted when FRT epithelial cells were cocultured with A. vaginae. We observed increased proviral activity mediated by secreted low molecular weight effectors, and determined that this activity was not likely mediated by cytokine responses. Instead, we identified a complex mixture containing several upregulated host proteins. Selected individual proteins from the mixture exhibited HIV-enhancing activity only when applied with the complex mixture of proviral factors, suggesting that HIV enhancement might be mediated by synergistic effects.In addition to characterizing the immune interactions that mediate the enhanced HIV acquisition associated with BV, we also evaluated the safety and efficacy of RC-101, a candidate vaginal microbicide being developed for the prevention of HIV transmission. RC-101 has been effective and well tolerated in preliminary cell culture and macaque models. However, the effect of RC-101 on primary vaginal tissues and resident vaginal microflora requires further evaluation. Here, we treated primary vaginal tissues and vaginal bacteria, both pathogenic and commensal, with RC-101 to investigate compatibility of this microbicide with FRT tissue and microflora. RC-101 was well tolerated by host tissues and commensal vaginal bacteria, while BV-associated bacteria were inhibited by RC-101. By establishing vaginal microflora, the specific antibacterial activity of RC-101 may provide a dual mechanism of HIV protection.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004677, ucf:49867
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004677
- Title
- PROTECTION OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT IN THE PREVENTION OF HIV.
- Creator
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Diaz, Camila, Cole, Alexander, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Worldwide, more than half of all HIV-infected individuals are women. Since mucosal surfaces are the primary gateway for HIV entry, maintaining the integrity of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is essential for preventing infection. The FRT employs many immune mechanisms that serve as the first line of defense against HIV transmission. Among these are vaginal fluid secretions rich in antimicrobial peptides, and commensal bacteria that colonize the vagina and prevent infections. We sought to...
Show moreWorldwide, more than half of all HIV-infected individuals are women. Since mucosal surfaces are the primary gateway for HIV entry, maintaining the integrity of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is essential for preventing infection. The FRT employs many immune mechanisms that serve as the first line of defense against HIV transmission. Among these are vaginal fluid secretions rich in antimicrobial peptides, and commensal bacteria that colonize the vagina and prevent infections. We sought to study vaginal fluid as an innate immune component of the FRT in the prevention of HIV infection. Additionally, we investigated the anti-HIV microbicide candidate RC-101 as a possible treatment against pathogenic bacteria that disrupt the healthy microbiota of the FRT and create a suboptimal immune state that increases host susceptibility to viruses, such as HIV. Here we report that vaginal fluid collected from healthy females inhibits HIV infection. Moreover, our studies reveal that vaginal fluid collected from Black and White women exhibit disparate anti-HIV activity, possibly rendering Black women more susceptible to HIV infection. In addition, we show that RC-101, which is active against HIV, can also inhibit pathogenic bacteria that compromise FRT innate immunity, providing a dual mechanism of protection against HIV acquisition. Overall, these findings show that vaginal fluid is an important part of female innate immunity that protects the host from heterosexual HIV acquisition. Furthermore, the microbicide RC-101 may prevent HIV infection by both directly preventing viral entry, and by restricting the growth of pathogenic bacteria that disrupt the protective commensal vaginal flora. Together, innate mechanisms and bolstered protection present a multifaceted approach to maintaining effective host immunity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004150, ucf:44842
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004150
- Title
- THE ANTI-HIV-1 ACTIVITY OF HUMAN SEMINAL PLASMA.
- Creator
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Martellini, Julie, Cole, Alexander, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a global pandemic over the past few decades, with new infections and related deaths in the millions each year. There is no cure in sight for HIV-1 infection, and there has been little progress in developing an efficacious vaccine. Heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 remains the principal mode of transmission throughout the world and thus measures, such as topical vaginal microbicides, to prevent infection of the female reproductive tract are...
Show moreHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a global pandemic over the past few decades, with new infections and related deaths in the millions each year. There is no cure in sight for HIV-1 infection, and there has been little progress in developing an efficacious vaccine. Heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 remains the principal mode of transmission throughout the world and thus measures, such as topical vaginal microbicides, to prevent infection of the female reproductive tract are actively being explored. Recent trials of topical vaginal microbicides have shown that their interaction with the mucosal surfaces of the female reproductive tract as well as semen can hinder microbicide effectiveness against HIV-1 infection. Therefore, understanding the role these fluids play in HIV transmission would be critical towards developing effective antiviral prophylaxes. A recent study from our group demonstrated that human cervicovaginal secretions contained numerous cationic antimicrobial peptides and proteins, which collectively inhibited HIV-1 infection of target cells and tissues. To ascertain if human seminal plasma (SP), the main vector responsible for transmitting HIV-1, exhibited antiviral activity we utilized several anti-HIV assays in the presence or absence of minimally manipulated SP. The majority of the intrinsic anti-HIV-1 activity of SP resided in the cationic polypeptide fraction. Antiviral assays utilizing luciferase reporter cells and lymphocytic cells revealed the ability of whole SP to prevent HIV-1 infection, even when SP was diluted 3200-fold. Subsequent fractionation by continuous flow acid-urea (AU)-PAGE and antiviral testing revealed that cationic polypeptides within SP were responsible for the majority of anti-HIV-1 activity. A proteomic approach was utilized to resolve and identify 52 individual cationic polypeptides that contribute to the aggregate anti-HIV-1 activity of SP. One peptide fragment of semenogelin I, termed SG-1, was purified from SP by a multi-step chromatographic approach, protein sequenced, and determined to exhibit anti-HIV-1 activity against HIV-1. Anti-HIV-1 activity was transient, as whole SP incubated for prolonged time intervals exhibited a proportional decrease in anti-HIV-1 activity that was directly attributed to the degradation of semenogelin I peptides. Collectively, these results indicate that the cationic polypeptide fraction of SP is active against HIV-1, and that semenogelin-derived peptides contribute to the intrinsic anti-HIV-1 activity of SP. Conversely, naturally occurring peptidic fragments from the SP-derived prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) have been reported to form amyloid fibrils called "SEVI" capable of enhancing HIV-1 infection in vitro. In order to understand the biological consequence of this proviral effect, we extended these studies in the presence of human SP. PAP-derived peptides were agitated to form SEVI and incubated in the presence or absence of SP. While PAP-derived peptides and SEVI alone were proviral, the presence of 1% SP ablated their proviral activity in several different anti-HIV-1 assays. The anti-HIV-1 activity of SP was concentration dependent and was reduced following filtration. Supraphysiological concentrations of PAP peptides and SEVI incubated with diluted SP were degraded within hours, with SP exhibiting proteolytic activity at dilutions as high as 1:200. Sub-physiological concentrations of two prominent proteases of SP, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and matriptase, could degrade physiological and supraphysiological concentrations of PAP peptides and SEVI. While human SP is a complex biological fluid, containing both antiviral and proviral factors, our results suggest that PAP peptides and SEVI may be subject to naturally occurring proteolytic components capable of reducing their proviral activity. Our studies demonstrate the overall antiviral activity of human SP, but there is still a critical need for effective topical vaginal microbicides that can prevent HIV-1 transmission. The synthetic human retrocyclins are cyclic antimicrobial peptides that are remarkably active against HIV-1, and are being developed as topical vaginal microbicides. Herein, we assessed whether the putative proviral SEVI was able to adversely affect the anti-HIV-1 activity of the retrocyclin analog RC-101. While SEVI alone enhanced viral infection, this effect was completely negated in the presence of RC-101. Retrocyclins such as RC-101 are inhibitors of HIV-1 entry, by preventing gp41-mediated viral fusion. Interestingly, using an HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) specific assay, we also determined that RC-101 directly inhibited the activity of RT in a dose dependent manner, suggesting a secondary mechanism of viral inhibition. Our group has determined that RC-101 induces only a modest level of resistance in HIV, which may be due in part to RC-101's dual mechanisms of viral inhibition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003583, ucf:48916
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003583
