Cs. Dezzutti et al., Involvement of matrix metalloproteinases in human immunodeficiency virus type I-induced replication by clinical Mycobacterium avium isolates, J INFEC DIS, 180(4), 1999, pp. 1142-1152
The role of Mycobacterium avium isolates in modulating human immunodeficien
cy virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication was examined by use of an in vitro, res
ting T cell system. Two human clinical isolates (serotypes 1 and 4) but not
an environmental M. avium isolate (serotype 2) enhanced HIV-1 replication.
The M. avium-induced HIV-1 replication was not associated with cell activa
tion or differential cytokine production or utilization. Addition of matrix
metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors and their in vivo regulators, tissue in
hibitors of metalloproteinases-1 and -2, abrogated M. avium-induced HIV-1 r
eplication 80%-95%. The MMP inhibitors did not have any effect on the HIV-1
protease activity, suggesting that they may affect cellular processes. Fur
thermore, MMP-9 protein was differentially expressed after infection with c
linical M. avium isolates and paralleled HIV-1 p24 production. Collectively
, these data suggest that M. avium-induced HIV-1 replication is mediated, i
n part, through the induction of MMP-9.