Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Apr:40:19-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2018.03.003. Epub 2018 Mar 16.

Type I interferon and HIV: Subtle balance between antiviral activity, immunopathogenesis and the microbiome

Carolina Scagnolari  1 , Guido Antonelli  2
Affiliations
Review

Type I interferon and HIV: Subtle balance between antiviral activity, immunopathogenesis and the microbiome

Carolina Scagnolari et al. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Type I interferon (IFN) response initially limits HIV-1 spread and may delay disease progression by stimulating several immune system components. Nonetheless, persistent exposure to type I IFN in the chronic phase of HIV-1 infection is associated with desensitization and/or detrimental immune activation, thereby hindering immune recovery and fostering viral persistence. This review provides a basis for understanding the complexity and function of IFN pleiotropic activity in HIV-1 infection. In particular, the dichotomous role of the IFN response in HIV-1 immunopathogenesis will be discussed, highlighting recent advances in the dynamic modulation of IFN production in acute versus chronic infection, expression signatures of IFN subtypes, and viral and host factors affecting the magnitude of IFN response during HIV-1 infection. Lastly, the review gives a forward-looking perspective on the interplay between microbiome compositions and IFN response.

Keywords: Age; Gender; Gut; HIV-1; IFN; IFNα receptor; IFNα subtypes; IFNλ; ISGs; Microbiome; PRR; SNP.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Processes associated to IFN production/action in HIV-1 infection. Examples of positive and negative effects of IFN reported during HIV-1 infection.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
In vitro impairment of the type IFN response by HIV-1. Black lines indicate countermeasures against the IFN by HIV-1 to overcome IFN induction (left side), IFN signaling (centre) and IFN effectors (right side).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Major findings about gut microbiota compositions in HIV-1 infected patients (adapted from [[144], [145]].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. McNab F., Mayer-Barber K., Sher A., Wack A., O'Garra A. Type I interferons in infectious disease. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2015;15:87–103. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Doyle T., Goujon C., Malim M.H. HIV-1 and interferons: who's interfering with whom? Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2015;13:403–413. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Heim M.H., Thimme R. Innate and adaptive immune responses in HCV infections. J. Hepatol. 2014;61:S14–25. - PubMed
    1. Antonelli G., Scagnolari C., Moschella F., Proietti E. Twenty-five years of type I interferon-based treatment: a critical analysis of its therapeutic use. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2015;26:121–131. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Scagnolari C., Monteleone K., Cacciotti G., Antonelli G. Role of interferons in chronic hepatitis C infection. Curr. Drug Targets. 2017;18:844–850. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances