Patients with active tuberculosis have increased expression of HIV coreceptors CXCR4 and CCR5 on CD4+ T cells

Abstract

Expression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coreceptors CXCR4 and CCR5 was found to be elevated on CD4+ T cells (1) in blood samples obtained from patients with tuberculosis and (2) in blood samples obtained from healthy subjects and stimulated with mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan in vitro. These data suggest that the increase in HIV viremia that occurs in association with tuberculosis may result from up-regulation of CXCR4 and CCR5 on CD4+ T cells, thereby causing acceleration of HIV infection. © 2001 Infectious Diseases Society of America.