AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, July 25, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

"We report that cocaine may act as cofactor in HIV pathogenesis by increasing dendritic cell-specific C type ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) expression on dendritic cells (DC).

"Our results show that cocaine-using, long-term nonprogressors and normal progressors of HIV infection manifest significantly higher levels of DC-SIGN compared with cocaine-nonusing long-term nonprogressors and normal progressors, respectively," researchers in the United States report.

"Furthermore," said investigators, "in vitro HIV infection of MDC from normal subjects cultured with cocaine and/or HIV peptides upregulated DC-SIGN, confirming our in vivo finding."

"Cocaine, in synergy with HIV peptides, also upregulates DC-SIGN gene expression by MDC. Furthermore, the cocaine-induced effects were reversed by a D1 receptor antagonist demonstrating the specificity of the reaction," wrote M.P.N. Nair and colleagues at Buffalo General Hospital.

"Our results indicate that cocaine exacerbates HIV infection by upregulating DC-SIGN on DC and these effects are mediated via dysregulation of MAPKs. These data are the first evidence that cocaine upregulates the expression of DC-SIGN on DC," continued the authors.

Nair concluded, "A better understanding of the role of DC-SIGN in HIV infection may help to design novel therapeutic strategies against the progression of HIV disease in the drug-using population."

Nair and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Immunology (Cocaine modulates dendritic cell-specific C type intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin expression by dendritic cells in HIV-1 patients. J Immunol. 2005 Jun 1;174(11):6617-26.

For additional information, contact M.P.N. Nair, Buffalo General Hospital, Division Allergy Immunology & Rheumatol, Dept. Med, 301 Multi Research Bldg, 100 High St., Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Immunology is: American Association Immunologists, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

Keywords: Buffalo, New York, United States, HIV/AIDS, DC-SIGN, Dendritic Cells, Cocaine, Disease Progression.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Nair MP, Mahajan SD, Schwartz SA, et al., Cocaine modulates dendritic cell-specific C type intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin expression by dendritic cells in HIV-1 patients., J Immunol. 2005 Jun 1;174(11):6617-26.

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