APOBEC3G expression is dysregulated in primary HIV-1 infection and polymorphic variants influence CD4+ T-cell counts and plasma viral load

OBJECTIVES: In the absence of HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif), cellular cytosine deaminases such as apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G) inhibit the virus by inducing hypermutations on viral DNA, among other mechanisms of action. We investigated the association of APOBEC3G mRNA levels and genetic variants on HIV-1 susceptibility, and early disease pathogenesis using viral load and CD4 T-cell counts as outcomes. METHODS: Study participants were 250 South African women at high risk for HIV-1 subtype C infection. We used real-time PCR to measure the expression of APOBEC3G in HIV-negative and HIV-positive primary infection samples. APOBEC3G variants were identified by DNA re-sequencing and TaqMan genotyping. RESULTS: We found no correlation between APOBEC3G expression levels and plasma viral loads (r = 0.053, P = 0.596) or CD4 T-cell counts (r = 0.030, P = 0.762) in 32 seroconverters. APOBEC3G expression levels were higher in HIV-negative individuals as compared with HIV-positive individuals (P < 0.0001), including matched pre and postinfection samples from the same individuals (n = 13, P < 0.0001). Twenty-four single nucleotide polymorphisms, including eight novel, were identified within APOBEC3G by re-sequencing and genotyping. The H186R mutation, a codon-changing variant in exon 4, and a 3' extragenic mutation (rs35228531) were associated with high viral loads (P = 0.0097 and P < 0.0001) and decreased CD4 T-cell levels (P = 0.0081 and P < 0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that APOBEC3G transcription is rapidly downregulated upon HIV-1 infection. During primary infection, APOBEC3G expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells do not correlate with viral loads or CD4 T-cell counts. Genetic variation of APOBEC3G may significantly affect early HIV-1 pathogenesis, although the mechanism remains unclear and warrants further investigation

APOL1 risk alleles are associated with exaggerated age-related changes in glomerular number and volume in African-American adults: an autopsy study

APOL1 genetic variants contribute to kidney disease in African Americans. We assessed correlations between APOL1 profiles and renal histological features in subjects without renal disease. Glomerular number (N-glom,) and mean glomerular volume (V-glom,) were measured by the dissector/fractionator method in kidneys of African-American and non-African-American adults without renal disease, undergoing autopsies in Jackson, Mississippi. APOL1 risk alleles were genotyped and the kidney findings were evaluated in the context of those profiles. The proportions of African Americans with none, one, and two APOL1 risk alleles were 38%, 43%, and 19%, respectively; 38% of African Americans had G1 allele variants and 31% of African Americans had G2 allele variants. Only APOL1-positive African Americans had significant reductions in N-glom and increases in V-glom with increasing age. Regression analysis predicted an annual average loss of 8834 (P=0.03, sex adjusted) glomeruli per single kidney over the first 38 years of adult life in African Americans with two risk alleles. Body mass index above the group medians, but below the obesity definition of >= 30 kg/m(2), enhanced the expression of age-related changes in N-glom in African Americans with either one or two APOL1 risk alleles. These findings indicate that APOL1 risk alleles are associated with exaggerated age-related nephron loss, probably decaying from a larger pool of smaller glomeruli in early adult life, along with enlargement of the remaining glomeruli. These phenomena might mark mechanisms of accentuated susceptibility to kidney disease in APOL1-positive African Americans

Sickle cell trait and risk of cognitive impairment in African-Americans: The REGARDS cohort

Background: Sickle cell anemia may be associated with cognitive dysfunction, and some complications of sickle cell anemia might affect those with sickle cell trait (SCT), so we hypothesized that SCT is a risk factor for cognitive impairment. Methods: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study enrolled a national cohort of 30,239 white and black Americans from 2003 to 7, who are followed every 6 months. Baseline and annual global cognitive function testing used the Six-Item Screener (SIS), a validated instrument (scores range 0-6; ≤ 4 indicates cognitive impairment). Participants with baseline cognitive impairment and whites were excluded. Logistic regression was used to calculate the association of SCT with incident cognitive impairment, adjusted for risk factors. Linear mixed models assessed multivariable-adjusted change in test scores on a biennially administered 3-test battery measuring learning, memory, and semantic and phonemic fluency. Findings: Among 7743 participants followed for a median of 7·1 years, 85 of 583 participants with SCT (14·6%) developed incident cognitive impairment compared to 902 of 7160 (12·6%) without SCT. In univariate analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of incident cognitive impairment was 1·18 (95% CI: 0·93, 1·51) for those with SCT vs. those without. Adjustment did not impact the OR. There was no difference in change on 3-test battery scores by SCT status (all p > 0·11). Interpretation: In this prospective cohort study of black Americans, SCT was not associated with incident cognitive impairment or decline in test scores of learning, memory and executive function. Funding: National Institutes of Health, American Society of Hematology

Accounting for Multiple Comparisons in a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS)

Background As we enter an era when testing millions of SNPs in a single gene association study will become the standard, consideration of multiple comparisons is an essential part of determining statistical significance. Bonferroni adjustments can be made but are conservative due to the preponderance of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between genetic markers, and permutation testing is not always a viable option. Three major classes of corrections have been proposed to correct the dependent nature of genetic data in Bonferroni adjustments: permutation testing and related alternatives, principal components analysis (PCA), and analysis of blocks of LD across the genome. We consider seven implementations of these commonly used methods using data from 1514 European American participants genotyped for 700,078 SNPs in a GWAS for AIDS. Results A Bonferroni correction using the number of LD blocks found by the three algorithms implemented by Haploview resulted in an insufficiently conservative threshold, corresponding to a genome-wide significance level of α = 0.15 - 0.20. We observed a moderate increase in power when using PRESTO, SLIDE, and simpleℳ when compared with traditional Bonferroni methods for population data genotyped on the Affymetrix 6.0 platform in European Americans (α = 0.05 thresholds between 1 × 10-7 and 7 × 10-8). Conclusions Correcting for the number of LD blocks resulted in an anti-conservative Bonferroni adjustment. SLIDE and simpleℳ are particularly useful when using a statistical test not handled in optimized permutation testing packages, and genome-wide corrected p-values using SLIDE, are much easier to interpret for consumers of GWAS studies

Association of polymorphisms in the LEDGF/p75 gene (PSIP1) with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease progression

OBJECTIVE: LEDGF/p75, encoded by the PSIP1 gene, interacts with HIV-1 integrase and targets HIV-1 integration into active genes. We investigated the influence of polymorphisms in PSIP1 on HIV-1 acquisition and disease progression in black South Africans. METHODS: Integrase binding domain of LEDGF/p75 was sequenced in 126 participants. Four haplotype tagging SNPs rs2277191, rs1033056, rs12339417 and rs10283923 referred to as SNP1, SNP2, SNP3 and SNP4, respectively, and one exonic SNP rs61744944 (SNP5, Q472L) were genotyped in 195 HIV-1 seronegative, 52 primary and 403 chronically infected individuals using TaqMan assays. LEDGF/p75 expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. The impact of Q472L mutation on the interaction with HIV_1 IN was measured by AlphaScreen. RESULTS: rs2277191 (SNP1) A was more frequent among seropositives (P = 0.06, Fisher's exact test). Among individuals followed longitudinally SNP1A trended towards association with higher likelihood of HIV-1 acquisition [relative hazard (RH) = 2.21, P = 0.08; Cox model] and it was also associated with rapid disease progression (RH = 5.98, P = 0.04; Cox model) in the recently infected (primary infection) cohort. rs12339417 (SNP3)C was associated with slower decline of CD4(+) T cells (P = 0.02) and lower messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of LEDGF/p75 (P < 0.01). Seroconverters had higher preinfection mRNA levels of LEDGF/p75 (P < 0.01) and these levels decreased after HIV-1 infection (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variants of PSIP1 may affect HIV-1 outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of genetic variation of PSIP1 on HIV-1 pathogenesis in different cohorts

Effects of Plasma HIV RNA, CD4+ T Lymphocytes, and the Chemokine Receptors CCR5 and CCR2b on HIV Disease Progression in Hemophiliacs

We have investigated the effects of plasma HIV RNA, CD4+ T lymphocytes and chemokine receptors CCR5 and CCR2b on HIV disease progression in hemophiliacs. We prospectively observed during follow-up 207 HIV-infected hemophiliacs in the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study. Plasma HIV RNA was measured on cryopreserved plasma from enrollment using the Chiron Corporation bDNA (version 2.0) assay. Genotype variants CCR2b-641 and CCR5-Δ32 were detected using standard molecular techniques. Those with the mutant allele for CCR2b, and to a lesser extent CCR5, had lower plasma HIV RNA, and higher CD4+ T lymphocytes than did those without these genetic variants. After controlling for the effects of plasma HIV RNA and CD4+ T lymphocytes, those with the CCR2b mutant allele compared with those wild-type, had a trend toward a lower risk of progression to AIDS, adjusted relative hazard of 1.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-4.18; p = .092), and AIDS-related death, relative hazard 1.97 (95% CI, 0.98-4.00; p = .059). We conclude that plasma HIV RNA, CD4+ T lymphocytes, and CCR genotypes are correlated, and the protective affect of CCR2b against HIV disease progression is not completely explained by plasma HIV RNA or CD4+ T-lymphocyte number

The Regulatory Role of MicroRNA in Hepatitis-B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) Pathogenesis.

The incidence and mortality of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is an intractable public health problem in developing countries that is compounded by limited early detection and therapeutic options. Despite the early promise of utilizing the regulatory role of miRNA in liver cancer, this field remains largely in the work-in-progress phase. This exploratory review paper adopts a broad focus in order to collate evidence of the regulatory role of miRNA in each stage of the HBV-HCC continuum. This includes the regulatory role of miRNA in early HBV infection, chronic inflammation, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and the onset of HCC. The paper specifically investigates HBV dysregulated miRNA that influence the expression of the host/HBV genome in HBV-HCC pathogenesis and fully acknowledges that this does not cover the full spectrum of dysregulated miRNA. The sheer number of dysregulated miRNA in each phase support a hypothesis that future therapeutic interventions will need to consider incorporating multiple miRNA panels

IFITM Genes, Variants, and Their Roles in the Control and Pathogenesis of Viral Infections

Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) are a family of small proteins that localize in the plasma and endolysosomal membranes. IFITMs not only inhibit viral entry into host cells by interrupting the membrane fusion between viral envelope and cellular membranes, but also reduce the production of infectious virions or infectivity of progeny virions. Not surprisingly, some viruses can evade the restriction of IFITMs and even hijack the antiviral proteins to facilitate their infectious entry into host cells or promote the assembly of virions, presumably by modulating membrane fusion. Similar to many other host defense genes that evolve under the selective pressure of microorganism infection, IFITM genes evolved in an accelerated speed in vertebrates and many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in the human population, some of which have been associated with severity and prognosis of viral infection (e.g., influenza A virus). Here, we review the function and potential impact of genetic variation for IFITM restriction of viral infections. Continuing research efforts are required to decipher the molecular mechanism underlying the complicated interaction among IFITMs and viruses in an effort to determine their pathobiological roles in the context of viral infections in vivo

Unique features of TRIM5α among closely related human TRIM family members

AbstractThe tripartite motif (TRIM) protein, TRIM5α, restricts some retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), from infecting the cells of particular species. TRIM proteins contain RING, B-box, coiled-coil and, in some cases, B30.2(SPRY) domains. We investigated the properties of human TRIM family members closely related to TRIM5. These TRIM proteins, like TRIM5α, assembled into homotrimers and co-localized in the cytoplasm with TRIM5α. TRIM5α turned over more rapidly than related TRIM proteins. TRIM5α, TRIM34 and TRIM6 associated with HIV-1 capsid–nucleocapsid complexes assembled in vitro; the TRIM5α and TRIM34 interactions with these complexes were dependent on their B30.2(SPRY) domains. Only TRIM5α potently restricted infection by the retroviruses studied; overexpression of TRIM34 resulted in modest inhibition of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) infection. In contrast to the other TRIM genes examined, TRIM5 exhibited evidence of positive selection. The unique features of TRIM5α among its TRIM relatives underscore its special status as an antiviral factor

Renal and Cardiovascular Morbidities Associated with APOL1 Status among African-American and Non-African-American Children with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Background and objectives: African American (AA) children with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) have later onset disease that progresses more rapidly than in non-AA children. It is unclear how APOL1 genotypes contribute to kidney disease risk, progression and cardiovascular morbidity in children. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: We examined the prevalence of APOL1 genotypes and associated cardiovascular phenotypes among children with FSGS in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study; an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study of children aged 1-16 years with mild to moderate kidney disease.Results: A total of 140 AA children in the CKiD study were genotyped. HR APOL1 genotypes were present in 24% of AA children (33/140) and were associated with FSGS, p 3 mg/L (33% vs. 15%, p=0.12) and obesity (48% vs. 19%, p=0.01). There were no differences in glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin, iPTH, or calcium-phosphate product. Conclusions: AA children with HR APOL1 genotype and FSGS have increase prevalence of obesity and LVH despite a later age of FSGS onset, while adjusting for socioeconomic status. Treatment of obesity may be an important component of CKD and LVH management in this population