The regulation of alpha chemokines during HIV-1 infection and leukocyte activation: relevance for HIV-1-associated dementia

Cellular immunity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected brain macrophages serves to prevent productive viral replication in the nervous system. Inevitably, during advanced disease, this antiretroviral response breaks down, This could occur through virus-induced dysregulation of lymphocyte trafficking. Thus, we studied the production of non-ELR-containing alpha -chemokines and their receptor (CXCR3) expression in relevant virus target cells. Macrophages, lymphocytes, and astrocytes secreted alpha -chemokines after HIV-1 infection and/or immune activation. Lymphocyte CXCR3-mediated chemotactic responses were operative. In all, alpha -chemokine-mediated T cell migration continued after HIV-1 infection and the neuroinflammatory events operative during productive viral replication in brain. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.