HIV-1/parasite co-infection and the emergence of new parasite strains

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An In vitro Co-infection Model to Study Plasmodium falciparum-HIV-1 Interactions in Human Primary Monocyte-derived Immune Cells
07:39

An In vitro Co-infection Model to Study Plasmodium falciparum-HIV-1 Interactions in Human Primary Monocyte-derived Immune Cells

Published on: August 15, 2012

James O Lloyd-Smith1, Mary Poss, Bryan T Grenfell

  • 1Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA. jlloydsmith@psu.edu

Parasitology
|March 29, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection can amplify parasitic infections, potentially facilitating the emergence of new parasite strains. Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for public health strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Co-circulation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) and parasitic infections is common.
  • HIV-1 co-infection is known to amplify transmission for some parasites.
  • Population-level impacts of HIV-1 and parasite co-infection remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how HIV-1 alters host immunity, influencing the emergence of novel parasite strains.
  • To review evidence on HIV-1 co-infection's impact on susceptibility and infectiousness for five parasitic diseases.
  • To model the population-level dynamics of parasite strains under varying HIV-1 prevalence.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical and epidemiological data for malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, and strongyloidiasis.
  • Analysis of how HIV-1 co-infection affects individual host susceptibility and infectiousness.
  • Development of a modeling framework to project population-level impacts.

Main Results:

  • HIV-1 can facilitate the invasion of new parasite strains in various scenarios.
  • Identified threshold levels of HIV-1 prevalence that enable the successful invasion of previously unsustainable parasite strains.
  • Demonstrated potential for HIV-1 to alter parasite evolution dynamics at the population level.

Conclusions:

  • HIV-1 co-infection presents a significant factor in the emergence and spread of parasitic strains.
  • Further research is needed to validate predicted effects due to a lack of definitive evidence.
  • Challenges in data interpretation and future study priorities were discussed.

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