Recurrent visceral leishmaniasis relapses in HIV co-infected patients are characterised by less efficient immune responses and higher parasite load
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV co-infection (VL/HIV) has emerged as a significant public health problem in Ethiopia, with up to 30% of patients with VL co-infected with HIV. These patients suffer from recurrent VL relapses and increased mortality. Those with a previous history of VL relapses (recurrent VL/HIV) experience increased VL relapses as compared to patients with HIV presenting with their first episode of VL (primary VL/HIV). Our aim was to identify drivers that account for the higher rate of VL relapses in patients with recurrent VL/HIV (n = 28) as compared to primary VL/HIV (n = 21). Our results show that the relapse-free survival in patients with recurrent VL/HIV was shorter, that they had higher parasite load, lower weight gain, and lower recovery of all blood cell lineages. Their poorer prognosis was characterized by lower production of IFN-gamma, lower CD4+ T cell counts, and higher expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) on T cells.
Date Issued
2023-02-01
Date Acceptance
2022-12-19
Citation
iScience, 2023, 26 (2), pp.1-22
ISSN
2589-0042
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
1
End Page
22
Journal / Book Title
iScience
Volume
26
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258900422202140X?via%3Dihub
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
105867
Date Publish Online
2022-12-23