PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Schuitemaker

Publications and source records attributed to H Schuitemaker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Viral safety of C1-inhibitor NF.

We studied the efficacy of virus reduction by three process steps (polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG) precipitation, pasteurization, and 15nm virus filtration) in the manufacturing of C1-inhibitor NF. The potential prion removing capacity in this process was estimated based on data from the literature. Virus studies were performed using hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as relevant viruses and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), canine parvovirus (CPV) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) as model viruses, respectively. In the PEG precipitation step, an average reduction in infectious titer of 4.5log(10) was obtained for all five viruses tested. Pasteurization resulted in reduction of infectious virus of >6log(10) for BVDV, HIV, and PRV; for HAV the reduction factor was limited to 2.8log(10) and for CPV it was zero. Virus filtration (15nm) reduced the infectious titer of all viruses by more than 4.5log(10). The overall virus reducing capacity was >16log(10) for the LE viruses. For the NLE viruses CPV and HAV, the overall virus reducing capacities were >8.7 and >10.5log(10), respectively. Based on literature and theoretical assumptions, the prion reducing capacity of the C1-inhibitor NF process was estimated to be >9log(10).

Animals↗

CCR5, GPR15, and CXCR6 are major coreceptors of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 variants isolated from individuals with and without plasma viremia.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is generally considered capable of using a broad range of coreceptors. Since HIV-2 variants from individuals with nonprogressive infection were not studied previously, the possibility that broad coreceptor usage is a property of variants associated with progressive infection could not be excluded. To test this, we determined the coreceptor usage of 43 HIV-2 variants isolated from six long-term-infected individuals with undetectable plasma viremia. Using GHOST indicator cells, we showed for the first time that the only coreceptors efficiently used by low-pathogenic HIV-2 variants are CCR5, GPR15 (BOB), and CXCR6 (BONZO). Surprisingly, control HIV-2 variants (n = 45) isolated from seven viremic individuals also mainly used these three coreceptors, whereas use of CCR1, CCR2b, or CCR3 was rare. Nearly a quarter of all HIV-2 variants tested could infect the parental GHOST cells, which could be partially explained by CXCR4 usage. Use of CXCR4 was observed only for HIV-2 variants from viremic individuals. Thirty-eight variants from aviremic and viremic HIV-2-infected individuals were additionally tested in U87 cells. All except one were capable of infecting the parental U87 cells, often with high efficiency. When virus production in parental cells was regarded as background in the coreceptor-transduced cell lines, the results in U87 cells were largely in agreement with the findings in GHOST cells. HIV-2 isolates from aviremic individuals commonly use as coreceptors CCR5, GPR15, and CXCR6, as well as an unidentified receptor expressed by U87 cells. Broad coreceptor usage, therefore, does not appear to be associated with pathogenicity of HIV-2.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

The virucidal spectrum of a high concentration alcohol mixture.

The virucidal spectrum of a high concentration alcohol mixture (80% ethanol and 5% isopropanol) was determined for a broad series of lipid-enveloped (LE) and non-lipid-enveloped (NLE) viruses covering all relevant blood-borne viruses. LE viruses were represented by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), a specific model virus for hepatitis C virus (HCV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), and vaccinia virus. For the NLE viruses hepatitis A virus, canine parvovirus (a model for human parvovirus B19), and reovirus type 3 (Reo-3) were used. PRV, vaccinia, and Reo-3 served as general model viruses. The alcohol mixture was spiked with 5% (v/v) virus, mixed and tested for residual virus after 5 min treatment. Complete clearance (reduction by a factor of >10(6)) was observed for LE viruses, whereas incomplete to insignificant clearance (ranging from no reduction up to a maximum factor of 10(4)) was found for NLE viruses. In a second series of spiking experiments using the LE viruses BVDV, HIV, and PRV, complete clearance (reduction by a factor of >10(6)) was found after 20 s treatment. These data strongly suggest that treatment with a high concentration alcohol mixture has a high virucidal potential in particular for the blood-borne LE-viruses HIV, hepatitis B virus, and HCV. Such mixtures are well suited for rapid and frequent disinfection in dental practice being non-hazardous and non-toxic.

2-Propanol↗

Effects of CCR5-Delta32, CCR2-64I, and SDF-1 3'A alleles on HIV-1 disease progression: An international meta-analysis of individual-patient data.

BACKGROUND: Studies relating certain chemokine and chemokine receptor gene alleles with the outcome of HIV-1 infection have yielded inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: To examine postulated associations of genetic alleles with HIV-1 disease progression. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of individual-patient data. SETTING: 19 prospective cohort studies and case-control studies from the United States, Europe, and Australia. PATIENTS: Patients with HIV-1 infection who were of European or African descent. MEASUREMENTS: Time to AIDS, death, and death after AIDS and HIV-1 RNA level at study entry or soon after seroconversion. Data were combined with fixed-effects and random-effects models. RESULTS: Both the CCR5-Delta32 and CCR2-64I alleles were associated with a decreased risk for progression to AIDS (relative hazard among seroconverters, 0.74 and 0.76, respectively; P = 0.01 for both), a decreased risk for death (relative hazard among seroconverters, 0.64 and 0.74; P < 0.05 for both), and lower HIV-1 RNA levels after seroconversion (difference, -0.18 log(10) copies/mL and -0.14 log(10) copies/mL; P < 0.05 for both). Having the CCR5-Delta32 or CCR2-64I allele had no clear protective effect on the risk for death after development of AIDS. The results were consistent between seroconverters and seroprevalent patients. In contrast, SDF-1 3'A homozygotes showed no decreased risk for AIDS (relative hazard for seroconverters and seroprevalent patients, 0.99 and 1.03, respectively), death (relative hazard, 0.97 and 1.00), or death after development of AIDS (relative hazard, 0.81 and 0.97; P > 0.5 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The CCR5-Delta32 and CCR2-64I alleles had a strong protective effect on progression of HIV-1 infection, but SDF-1 3'A homozygosity carried no such protection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Evidence for a post-entry barrier to R5 HIV-1 infection of CD4 memory T cells.

BACKGROUND: HIV-1 strains R5 and X4 can infect CD4 memory T cells in vivo. Anti-CD3/28 stimulation induces beta-chemokines and CCR5 down-regulation and renders these cells resistant to R5 HIV-1 infection. Here we describe an additional cellular mechanism that blocks productive R5 HIV-1 infection of CD4 memory T cells. METHODS: Blood-derived CD4 memory T cells and CD4 T-cell clones were infected with primary R5 and X4 HIV-1 strains. Virus replication was correlated with CCR5 expression and beta-chemokine production. Virus entry and infectivity were measured by PCR for early and late products of HIV reverse transcription respectively. RESULTS: R5 strains were up to 1000-fold less infectious than X4 viruses for CD4 memory T cells. This resistance was independent of CCR5 levels and of the Delta-32 mutation and the CCR2-V64I/CCR5-59653T linked mutations. Blocking endogenous beta-chemokines relieved minimally this restriction. At the single cell level, CD4 memory cells were either permissive or non-permissive for R5 HIV-1 infection. R5 HIV titre was up to 10-fold lower than X4 virus titre even in a permissive clone. However, R5 viruses replicated as efficiently as X4 viruses in the permissive clone when neutralizing anti-beta chemokine antibodies were added. Non-permissive cells blocked a post-entry step of the virus life-cycle and expressed early but not late HIV transcripts. Neutralizing anti-beta chemokine antibodies promoted R5 virus replication marginally in the non-permissive clone. CONCLUSION: Some blood memory CD4 T cells retard R5 HIV-1 replication via endogenous beta-chemokines whereas others block productive R5 HIV-1 infection by an additional mechanism that interferes with a post-entry step of the virus life cycle. These natural barriers might contribute to lower pathogenicity of R5 HIV-1 strains for CD4 memory T cells than X4 viruses that emerge late in disease.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

No difference in in vitro susceptibility to HIV type 1 between high-risk HIV-negative Ethiopian commercial sex workers and low-risk control subjects.

Host factors such as increased beta-chemokine production, HIV-1 coreceptor expression level, and HIV-1 coreceptor polymorphism have been thought to influence susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. To determine the protective role of these factors in Ethiopians who remained HIV-1 uninfected, despite multiple high-risk sexual exposures, we studied 21 Ethiopian women who had been employed as commercial sex workers (CSWs) for five or more years. The HIV-1-resistant CSWs were compared with low-risk age-matched female controls who had a comparable CD4+ cell percentage and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). Genetic polymorphism in the CCR5, CCR2b, or SDF-1 genes appeared not to be associated with resistance in the Ethiopian CSWs. Expression levels of CCR5 and CXCR4 on naive, memory, and total CD4+ T cells tended to be higher in the resistant CSWs, while the production of beta-chemokines RANTES, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-1beta by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was lower compared with low-risk HIV-1 negative controls. In vitro susceptibility of PHA-stimulated PBMCs to primary, CCR5-restricted, Ethiopian HIV-1 isolates was comparable between resistant CSWs and low-risk controls. In vitro susceptibility was positively correlated to CD4+ cell mean fluorescence intensity and negatively correlated to CCR5 expression levels, suggesting that infection of PBMCs was primarily dependent on expression levels of CD4 and that CCR5 expression, above a certain threshold, did not further increase susceptibility. Our results show that coreceptor polymorphism, coreceptor expression levels, beta-chemokine production, and cellular resistance to in vitro HIV-1 infection are not associated with protection in high-risk HIV-1-negative Ethiopian CSWs.

Adult↗

OKT3 and IL-2 treatment for purging of the latent HIV-1 reservoir in vivo results in selective long-lasting CD4+ T cell depletion.

Activation of resting T cells has been proposed to purge the reservoir of HIV-1-infected resting CD4+ T cells. We therefore treated three HIV-1-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy with OKT3, a CD3 monoclonal antibody, and recombinant human IL-2. Here we report the profound and partially long-lasting host responses induced by the OKT3 and IL-2 treatment. OKT3/IL-2 induced a strong but transient release of plasma cytokines and chemokines. The percentage CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the blood expressing the activation marker CD38 transiently increased to almost 100%, and in lymph nodes we "observed" a 10-fold increase in the number of dividing Ki67+ cells and increased numbers of apoptotic cells. Following OKT3/IL-2 treatment, a long-lasting depletion of CD4+ cells in the peripheral blood and lymph nodes occurred, suggesting the physical deletion of these cells. Increases in CD4+T cell numbers during the two year followup period were due mainly to increased memory cell numbers. CD8+ cells were also depleted in the blood, but less severely in lymph nodes, and returned to baseline levels within several weeks.

CD4 Lymphocyte Count↗

Cytopathicity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 primary isolates depends on coreceptor usage and not patient disease status.

It has been hypothesized that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) evolves toward increased cytopathicity in conjunction with disease progression in infected patients. A viral property known to evolve in some but not all patients is coreceptor utilization, and it has been shown that a switch in coreceptor utilization is sufficient for the development of increased cytopathicity. To test the hypothesis that the evolution of other viral properties also contributes to accelerating cytopathicity in vivo, we used human lymphoid tissue explants to assay the cytopathicity of a panel of primary HIV-1 isolates derived from various stages of disease characterized by the presence or absence of changes in coreceptor preference. We found no evidence of coreceptor-independent increases in cytopathicity in isolates obtained either before coreceptor preference changes or from patients who progressed to AIDS despite an absence of coreceptor evolution. Instead, the cytopathicity of all HIV-1 isolates was determined solely by their coreceptor utilization. These results argue that HIV-1 does not evolve toward increased cytopathicity independently of changes in coreceptor utilization.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

No selection for CCR5 coreceptor usage during parenteral transmission of macrophagetropic syncytium-inducing human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

In two cases of parenteral transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) syncitium-inducing (SI) variants, we previously observed selection for macrophagetropic variants. Although infection of macrophages is generally mediated via CCR5, we found no selection for SI variants that could use CCR5 as coreceptor in addition to CXCR4, suggesting that features other than coreceptor usage account for the macrophagetropism of these transmitted SI HIV-1 variants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cytopathic effects of non-syncytium-inducing and syncytium-inducing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 variants on different CD4(+)-T-cell subsets are determined only by coreceptor expression.

In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, syncytium-inducing (SI) human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected and depleted all CD4(+) T cells, including naive T cells. Non-SI HIV-1 infected and depleted only the CCR5-expressing T-cell subset. This may explain the accelerated CD4 cell loss after SI conversion in vivo.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

Reversal of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 IIIB to a neutralization-resistant phenotype in an accidentally infected laboratory worker with a progressive clinical course.

The role of humoral immunity in controlling human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is still controversial. The resistance of primary HIV-1 variants to neutralization by antibodies, sera from HIV-1-infected patients, and soluble CD4 protein has been suggested to be a prerequisite for the virus to establish persistence in vivo. To further test this hypothesis, we studied the neutralization sensitivity of two IIIB/LAV variants that were isolated from a laboratory worker who accidentally was infected with the T-cell-line-adapted neutralization-sensitive IIIB isolate. Compared to the original virus in the inoculum, the reisolated viruses showed an increased resistance to neutralization over time. The ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitutions in the envelope gene pointed to strong positive selection. The emergence of neutralization-resistant HIV preceded disease development in this laboratory worker. Our results imply that the neutralization resistance of primary HIV may indeed be considered an escape mechanism from humoral immune control.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Slower decline of plasma HIV-1 RNA following highly suppressive antiretroviral therapy in primary compared with chronic infection.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of highly suppressive antiretroviral therapy on the slopes of HIV-1 RNA decline in primary compared with chronic HIV-1 infection. METHODS: Slopes of HIV-1 RNA decline in plasma were compared before and after the start of highly suppressive antiretroviral therapy from five acutely infected patients who started treatment 2 to 5 weeks following the onset of clinical symptoms. Slopes of decline after the initiation of therapy were also compared with those found in 12 chronically infected individuals on the same therapy. Numbers and percentages of activated CD4 and CD8 T cells at baseline were compared as well. RESULTS: The pre-treatment slopes of HIV-1 RNA decline in the acutely infected individuals increased significantly (P = 0.0001) after the start of anti-retroviral therapy. However, these post-treatment slopes were lower than those found in the chronically infected individuals (P= 0.012). Slopes were inversely correlated (P= 0.012) with baseline HIV-1 RNA. Although the number of CD38+HLA-DR+ CD4 cells was higher in primary infection (P= 0.02), the percentage did not differ between primary and chronic infection. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that antiretroviral therapy contributes significantly to the clearance of HIV-1 during primary infection. Based on the mathematical model the less steep RNA slope following the start of treatment in primary infection can be predicted to be the result of lower clearance of productively infected cells and higher burst size per cell per unit time. This may indicate a growing immune response to HIV-1 in this very early stage of infection.

Acute Disease↗

Strong association between failure of T cell homeostasis and the syncytium-inducing phenotype among HIV-1-infected men in the Amsterdam Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between T cell homeostasis and its failure and 1.) the occurrence of AIDS and 2.) the switch from the non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) to the syncytium-inducing (SI) HIV virus phenotype. METHODS: For each of 325 homosexual men in the Amsterdam Cohort Study, the slope of the CD3 T cell count versus time was determined. The timing (T cell inflection point (IP)) and magnitude of the change in slope were correlated with the time of the NSI/SI switch. RESULTS: Median T cell slopes before the IP (pre-IP) were nearly zero regardless of whether AIDS occurred; the slopes after the IP (post-IP) were associated with clinical outcomes, with a median annual decline of 17.6% among those who developed AIDS and increase of 4.6% in those remaining AIDS free. Among subjects considered to have a true IP (decline > 8.2%/year post-IP), the times of the SI switch and the IP slope were highly correlated (r = 0.65); among those with AIDS, the SI switch preceded the IP by a median of 0.63 years. CONCLUSION: These results support the concept of blind T cell homeostasis and also suggest that HIV-1 SI variants play an important role in the failure of T cell homeostasis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Susceptibility of in vitro stimulated PBMC to infection with NSI HIV-1 is associated with levels of CCR5 expression and beta-chemokine production.

Susceptibility of PHA/rIL-2-stimulated PBMC from 14 healthy blood donors for NSI HIV-1 infection was analyzed in relation to CCR5 expression and beta-chemokine production. After 1 week of culture in the presence of rIL-2, but not at the moment of inoculation, CCR5 surface expression was positively and beta-chemokine production was inversely associated with susceptibility to NSI HIV-1 infection. Surprisingly, no association was observed between CCR5 genotype and in vitro NSI HIV-1 susceptibility, which was in agreement with similar levels of CCR5 surface expression and beta-chemokine production in CCR5Delta32/+ and CCR5 +/+ PBMC after PHA/rIL-2 stimulation. In contrast to what was observed in vitro, CCR5 genotype did associate with CCR5 surface expression levels in vivo in resting as well as in activated CD4(+) T cell populations that were identified by the expression of CD45RO, CD27, HLA-DR, and CD69. The association between CCR5 expression and susceptibility to infection by NSI HIV-1 observed in vitro might offer an explanation for the in vivo observed protective effect of CCR5 polymorphisms that influence CCR5 expression on disease progression.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

In vivo HIV-1 infection of CD45RA(+)CD4(+) T cells is established primarily by syncytium-inducing variants and correlates with the rate of CD4(+) T cell decline.

Switch from non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) to syncytium-inducing (SI) HIV type 1 (HIV-1) is associated with accelerated CD4(+) T cell depletion, which might partially be explained by higher virulence of SI variants compared with NSI variants. Because NSI and SI variants use different coreceptors for entry of target cells, altered tropism might offer an explanation for increased pathogenesis associated with SI HIV-1 infection. To investigate whether SI and NSI HIV-1 variants infect different CD4(+) T cell subsets in vivo, the distribution of SI and NSI variants over CD4(+) memory (CD45RA(-)RO(+)) and naive (CD45RA(+)RO(-)) cells was studied by using limiting dilution cultures. In contrast to NSI variants that were mainly present in CD45RO(+) cells, SI variants were equally distributed over CD45RO(+) and CD45RA(+) cells. Infection of memory cells by both NSI and SI HIV-1 and infection of naive cells primarily by SI HIV-1 corresponded closely with the differential cell surface expression of CXCR4 and CCR5. The frequency of SI-infected CD45RA(+) CD4(+) T cells, but not the frequency of NSI- or SI-infected CD45RO(+) CD4(+) T cells, correlated with the rate of CD4(+) T cell depletion. Infection of naive cells by SI HIV-1 may interfere with CD4(+) T cell production and thus account for rapid CD4(+) T cell depletion.

CD4 Lymphocyte Count↗

Toxicity and drug exposure in a quadruple drug regimen in HIV-1 infected patients participating in the ADAM study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between toxicity and the exposure to nelfinavir and saquinavir as part of a quadruple drug regimen. DESIGN: The ADAM study is a randomized study to investigate the feasibility of induction-maintenance therapy in HIV-1 infection. METHODS: HIV-1-infected patients with no prior use of antiretroviral treatment started induction therapy consisting of stavudine + lamivudine + nelfinavir + saquinavir for a period of 26 weeks. Data regarding toxicity of the quadruple regimen and exposure to the protease inhibitors were collected. RESULTS: Seven of the 65 patients enrolled had to switch therapy for reasons of toxicity within the first 26 weeks. Diarrhoea was frequently reported (49 of 65, one discontinuation), but could be relieved by using antidiarrhoeal agents. Laboratory monitoring revealed elevated liver enzymes (leading to four discontinuations) and mild to moderate elevations of triglycerides and cholesterol (nine and 23 of 65, respectively). The exposure to saquinavir and nelfinavir was lower than expected. Abdominal pain was associated with a higher exposure to nelfinavir or saquinavir. The association of nausea and abdominal distension with drug exposure appeared to vary over time. CONCLUSIONS: The quadruple drug regimen was quite well tolerated. Diarrhoea was frequently reported but could be relieved by the use of antidiarrhoeal agents. In comparison with other protease inhibitor combinations, lipid abnormalities in plasma were infrequent and mild. With the exception of diarrhoea, all gastrointestinal complaints observed were found to be associated with the level of exposure to nelfinavir or saquinavir. The exposure to the protease inhibitors was relatively low, although the virologic efficacy of the regimen used was satisfactory.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗