Open AccessCo-Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Impairs HIV-Specific CD8+ and CD4+ T Cell Functionality
Author(s) -
Shivan Chetty,
Pamla Govender,
Jennifer Zupkosky,
Manormoney Pillay,
Musie Ghebremichael,
Mahomed-Yunus S. Moosa,
Thumbi Ndung’u,
Filippos Porichis,
Victoria Kasprowicz
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0118654
Subject(s) - mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculosis , virology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , coinfection , microbiology and biotechnology , cd8 , biology , aids related opportunistic infections , medicine , immunology , immune system , sida , viral disease , pathology
The ability of antigen-specific T cells to simultaneously produce multiple cytokines is thought to correlate with the functional capacity and efficacy of T cells. These ‘polyfunctional’ T cells have been associated with control of HIV. We aimed to assess the impact of co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) on HIV-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell function. We assessed T cell functionality in 34 South African adults by investigating the IFN-y, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-21 and IL-17 cytokine secretion capacity, using polychromatic flow cytometry, following HIV Gag-specific stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We show that MTB is associated with lower HIV-specific T cell function in co-infected as compared to HIV mono-infected individuals. This decline in function was greatest in co-infection with active Tuberculosis (TB) compared to co-infection with latent MTB (LTBI), suggesting that mycobacterial load may contribute to this loss of function. The described impact of MTB on HIV-specific T cell function may be a mechanism for increased HIV disease progression in co-infected subjects as functionally impaired T cells may be less able to control HIV.