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Role of HIV-encoded proteins in cardiovascular disease
Laszlo Kovacs1,2, Beryl N Khakina1, Eric Belin de Chantemèle1,3
1Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States.
Insights
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has made human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) manageable. However, HIV proteins directly contribute to cardiovascular disease, now the leading cause of death in people living with HIV (PLWH).
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is now a chronic condition due to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the primary cause of mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH).
- Traditional CVD risk factors are compounded by HIV-specific factors, including viral proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of HIV-encoded proteins in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications in PLWH.
- To highlight the mechanisms by which HIV proteins contribute to cardiovascular pathology.
Main Methods:
- This mini-review synthesizes existing literature on HIV proteins and cardiovascular disease.
- Focuses on in vitro findings and discusses their potential in vivo relevance.
Main Results:
- HIV-encoded proteins directly contribute to cardiovascular pathology.
- Pathogenic mechanisms include endothelial activation, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular remodeling.
- In vitro studies demonstrate the direct effects of these proteins, but in vivo relevance requires further investigation.
Conclusions:
- HIV proteins are significant contributors to cardiovascular complications in PLWH.
- Understanding these viral contributions is crucial for managing CVD in this population.
- Further in vivo studies are needed to fully elucidate the pathophysiological relevance of these findings.
Abstract:
Thanks to the efficacy of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, once considered a terminal diagnosis, has transformed into a chronic, manageable condition. Consequently, mortality from opportunistic infections has significantly declined, with cardiovascular disease now emerging as the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH). Along with traditional risk factors like smoking, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV-encoded proteins have emerged as direct etiologies of cardiovascular pathology. These viral proteins have been shown to exert pathogenic effects through mechanisms that result in endothelial activation, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular remodeling. Although many studies have investigated the direct effects of these viral proteins on cells in culture, the pathophysiological relevance of the alterations reported often remains to be established in an in vivo setting. This mini-review provides a brief overview of the role of these proteins in HIV-related cardiovascular (CV) complications.
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