Abstract
Parasites can increase infection rates and pathogenicity in immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. However, in vitro studies and epidemiological investigations also suggest that parasites might escape immunocompromised hosts during HIV infection. Due to the lack of direct evidence from animal experiments, the effects of parasitic infections on immunocompromised hosts remain unclear. Here, we detected 14 different parasites in six northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs) before or at the 50th week of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection by ELISA. The NPMs all carried parasites before viral injection. At the 50th week after viral injection, the individuals with negative results in parasitic detection (i.e., 08247 and 08287) were characterized as the Parasites Exit (PE) group, with the other individuals (i.e., 09203, 09211, 10205, and 10225) characterized as the Parasites Remain (PR) group. Compared with the PR group, the NPMs in the PE group showed higher viral loads, lower CD4+ T cells counts, and lower CD4/CD8 rates. Additionally, the PE group had higher immune activation and immune exhaustion of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Pathological observation showed greater injury to the liver, cecum, colon, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes in the PE group. This study showed more seriously compromised immunity in the PE group, strongly indicating that parasites might exit an immunocompromised host.
Highlights
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was first recognized in 1981 and has emerged from initially being a concern among high-risk groups to representing a worldwide pandemic (Jeang et al, 2007)
At the 50th week after infection, the parasites detected before viral infection remained, and no new parasites were detected after viral infection
We grouped 08247 and 08287 into the Parasites Exit (PE) group and the other four northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs) into the Parasites Remain (PR) group to evaluate the relationship between simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and parasitic infection
Summary
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was first recognized in 1981 and has emerged from initially being a concern among high-risk groups to representing a worldwide pandemic (Jeang et al, 2007). As HIV acts on the immune system, destroying or impairing its function, the most common causes of death for HIV patients are various pathogenic infections (including fungal, viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections) and cancer (Bonnet et al, 2005; Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration, 2010; Palladino et al, 2011). Both parasites and HIV infection have major effects on the host immune system, and co-infection is widespread (Bentwich, 2000).
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