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The Complement Pathway Is Activated in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Is Associated With Non-AIDS

Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin1, Ornella Sortino2,3, Eveline Verheij4

  • 1Metaorganism Immunity Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|February 19, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The complement cascade, a key immune pathway, is elevated in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). Specifically, complement component C5 shows a strong link to non-AIDS related health issues in PWH.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Proteomics
  • HIV Medicine

Background:

  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection impacts various biological systems.
  • Understanding the molecular underpinnings of comorbidities in people with HIV (PWH) is crucial for improving long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel plasma protein biomarkers associated with health status in treated PWH.
  • To investigate the role of the complement system in PWH.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized unbiased plasma proteomics in a matched case-control study design.
  • Analyzed plasma samples from treated individuals with HIV and controls.

Main Results:

  • The complement cascade was identified as a significantly enriched pathway in PWH.
  • Complement component C5 demonstrated a strong association with the prevalence of non-AIDS comorbidities.
  • C5 showed a stronger association than established predictive biomarkers.

Conclusions:

  • The complement cascade, particularly C5, represents a potential therapeutic target and predictive biomarker for non-AIDS comorbidities in PWH.
  • These findings highlight the importance of immune system dysregulation in the long-term health of PWH.

Keywords:
HIVbiomarkercomorbiditiescomplementnoncommunicable diseases

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