ABSTRACT
Alpha interferon (IFN-α) suppresses human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in vitro by inducing cell-intrinsic retroviral restriction mechanisms. We investigated the effects of IFN-α/ribavirin (IFN-α/riba) treatment on 34 anti-HIV-1 restriction factors in vivo. Expression of several anti-HIV-1 restriction factors was significantly induced by IFN-α/riba in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected individuals. Fold induction of cumulative restriction factor expression in CD4+ T cells was significantly correlated with viral load reduction during IFN-α/riba treatment (r 2 = 0.649; P < 0.016). Exogenous IFN-α induces supraphysiologic restriction factor expression associated with a pronounced decrease in HIV-1 viremia.
FOOTNOTES
- Received 17 September 2013.
- Accepted 17 October 2013.
- Accepted manuscript posted online 23 October 2013.
- Address correspondence to Satish K. Pillai, satish.pillai{at}ucsf.edu.
Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02687-13.
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