Study provides an overview of interactions between bacteria, viruses and the immune system during HIV infection

Study provides an overview of interactions between bacteria, viruses and the immune system during HIV infection -

study showed significant associations between bacteria, the virus and the immune system in semen during HIV infection

a new study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) provides an overview of the interaction between bacteria, viruses and immune system during HIV infection.

Currently, doctors measure HIV infectivity men - their potential to infect other - depending on their viral load in the blood. However, some men produce large quantities of virus in semen despite low levels in the blood. Researchers call this "compartmentalization," where various levels of virus can be found in different parts of the body; in this case, in semen, blood against

Because of the importance of sperm in HIV transmission -. in both homosexual and heterosexual populations - researchers who conducted the study published today in the journal PLoS Pathogens sought to understand how HIV can be located, or compartmentalized in semen.

significantly, the study found a link between higher levels of HIV and higher levels of bacteria and cytokines, biochemicals that can be described as the system alarm bells immune.

"Our study tries to fight against a major problem in HIV research," said Dr. Lance Price, director of TGen Centre microbiomics and human health, and one of the study of the principal authors. "We found that HIV infection affects the relationship between sperm bacteria and the immune system, and both are related to HIV levels seed."

The findings could point to new ways to control the spread of HIV, said Dr. Price. "Our data suggest that sperm bacteria may play a role in localized inflammation and HIV viral load in semen, which is an important target for reducing HIV transmission. "

Although HIV can be found in many body fluids (semen, vaginal secretions, blood and breast milk), it is most often transmitted through semen in both gay and heterosexual.

homosexual men were the subject of this study as they continue to be the most at risk population for HIV in North America. the study included 27 men homosexuals infected with HIV, and 22 homosexual men who were not infected.

The 27 infected individuals were examined before treatment, and two intervals of one month and six months after antiretroviral therapy treatment (ART). Samples from the 22 uninfected participants in the study were used as controls.

"By comparing the sperm bacteria in uninfected and infected men, we found that HIV can cause an imbalance in semen microbiome," said Dr. Cindy Liu, lead author of the study , a clinical pathology resident at Johns Hopkins medical school and assistant professor at TGen at the time of the study. "This imbalance can be corrected by treating HIV. This suggests that there are complex host-microbe interactions in sperm. "

" We have taken the first step to show that bacteria, HIV, and the immune response in sperm can be connected " said Dr. Rupert Kaul, an immunologist at the University of Toronto, and another lead author of the study. "What we need to understand better the next is the precise relationship between these three factors -. If the bacterial imbalance is the trigger or the result of localized immune response "

The authors of the study, the semen microbiome and His relationship with the local immunological and viral load of HIV infection are particularly pleased that this research can mean to another important patient population.

"Although we focused on men whose viral load of semen can be controlled with HIV treatment in this study, "said Dr. Kaul," we need to study the men who continue to have high levels of HIV in their semen despite being on treatment. this will be important to improve how we treat patients and to control the spread of HIV. "