HIV infection is associated with higher levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and eotaxin among people with recent hepatitis C virus infection

François M J Lamoury; Behzad Hajarizadeh; Elizabeth Keoshkerian; Jordan J Feld; Janaki Amin; Suzy Teutsch; Gail V Matthews; Margaret Hellard; Gregory J Dore; Andrew R Lloyd; Tanya L Applegate; Jason Grebely; ATAHC Study Group

doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1567-2

HIV infection is associated with higher levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and eotaxin among people with recent hepatitis C virus infection

BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Jun 1:16:241. doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1567-2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia. flamoury@kirby.unsw.edu.au.
² Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia. flamoury@kirby.unsw.edu.au.
³ The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia.
⁴ Inflammation and Infection Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia.
⁵ Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
⁶ HIV/Immunology/Infectious Diseases Clinical Services Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
⁷ Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to more rapid progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver fibrosis, which could be linked to differences in the severity of liver inflammation among HIV/HCV co-infected individuals compared to HCV mono-infected individuals. This study assessed the association of HIV co-infection with pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic cytokines and chemokines during recent HCV infection.

Methods: Participants from the ATAHC study, a prospective cohort of recent HCV infection, with detectable HCV RNA at the time of acute HCV detection were included. Concentrations of 27 plasma cytokines and chemokines were measured by multiplex immunoassays and compared between those with, and without, HIV co-infection.

Results: Out of 117 individuals with recent HCV infection included in analysis, 73 had HCV mono-infection and 44 had HIV/HCV co-infection. Individuals with HIV/HCV co-infection had significantly higher mean levels of eotaxin (1.79 vs. 1.62 log pg/mL; P < 0.001), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1; 2.10 vs. 1.98 log pg/mL; P < 0.001), and interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10; 3.11 vs. 2.98 log pg/mL; P = 0.013). Linear regression analyses adjusting for age, alanine transaminase (ALT), HCV RNA levels, and assay run, higher eotaxin levels were independently associated with HIV/HCV co-infection (adjusted β: 0.12; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.24; P = 0.039). Higher MCP-1 levels were also independently associated with HIV/HCV co-infection in adjusted analysis (adjusted β: 0.11; 95%CI: 0.03, 0.18; P = 0.009).

Conclusions: During recent HCV, those with HIV/HCV co-infection had a stronger pro-fibrogenic mediator profile compared to those with HCV mono-infection. These findings may provide a potential explanation for accelerated liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV co-infection.

Trial registration: Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC) study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov registry on September 11, 2005. NCT00192569 .

Keywords: Acute infection; Chemokines; Co-infection; Cytokines; HCV.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Alanine Transaminase / blood
Australia
Chemokine CCL11 / blood*
Chemokine CCL2 / blood*
Coinfection / blood
Coinfection / virology
Female
HIV Infections / blood*
HIV Infections / complications
HIV Infections / virology
HIV-1
Hepacivirus / immunology
Hepatitis C / blood*
Hepatitis C / complications
Hepatitis C / virology
Humans
Interferon-gamma / blood
Male
Middle Aged
Young Adult

Substances

CCL11 protein, human
CCL2 protein, human
Chemokine CCL11
Chemokine CCL2
Interferon-gamma
Alanine Transaminase

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00192569

Grants and funding

R01 DA015999/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States