Primate Monocytes - CD14, CD16 - Ziegler-Heitbrock

Glut1 Expression Level on Inflammatory Monocytes is Associated With Markers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in HIV-Infected Individuals.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Greater access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased the lifespan of people living with HIV (PLWH). Although ART is associated with a reduction in inflammation, chronic, low-grade immune activation and inflammation persist even in virologically-suppressed PLWH. Residual inflammation during ART-treated HIV infection is associated with increased risk of fatal cardiovascular disease and other serious non-AIDS events (SNAEs),1 but the mediators linking 43 inflammation and SNAEs are uncertain. Monocyte activation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of SNAEs2 and is associated with increased monocyte expression of glucose transporter-1 (Glut1), monocyte glucose uptake and glycolytic metabolism. Glut1 expression on monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages is a critical mediator for generating of an inflammatory response.3 We previously reported that the percentage of Glut1-expressing intermediate monocytes is elevated during HIV infection regardless of treatment status,4 and more recently showed that increased Glut1 on intermediate monocytes is associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected women.5 These studies suggest an important role for Glut1-expressing intermediate monocytes and SNAEs. Here, we examined the relationship of intermediate monocyte Glut1 expression and plasma biomarkers of cardiovascular risk during HIV infection using univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis to identify associations.