Trichomonas vaginalis: In Vitro Attachment and Internalization of HIV-1 and HIV-1–Infected Lymphocytes

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by bacteria and protozoa play an important role in the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. Human trichomoniasis, produced by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is one of the most common STDs, and is a cause of mucosal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology 2003-01, Vol.50 (1), p.43-48
Main Authors: RENDÓN-MALDONADO, JOSÉ, ESPINOSA-CANTELLANO, MARTHA, SOLER, CARMEN, TORRES, JOSÉ V, MARTÍNEZ-PALOMO, ADOLFO
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Adhesion
Cells, Cultured
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HIV infection
HIV-1 - genetics
HIV-1 - growth & development
HIV-1 - pathogenicity
Humans
immunofluorescence
Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis
Lymphocytes - physiology
Lymphocytes - virology
Protozoa
protozoan infections
sexually transmitted diseases
Time Factors
transmission electron microscopy
Trichomonas vaginalis - growth & development
Trichomonas vaginalis - ultrastructure
Trichomonas vaginalis - virology
trichomoniasis
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Vacuoles - virology
Virion - ultrastructure
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Summary:Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by bacteria and protozoa play an important role in the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. Human trichomoniasis, produced by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is one of the most common STDs, and is a cause of mucosal lesions in the urogenital tract, which may increase the risk for HIV infection. However, there are no reports concerning the outcome of in vitro interactions between HIV particles and trichomonads. Therefore, we incubated T. vaginalis with three subtypes of HIV-1 (A, B, and D), as well as with HIV-1-infected lymphocytes, and analyzed the interactions with immunofluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that HIV-1 particles attach and are incorporated into T. vaginalis through endocytic vesicles and are degraded within cytoplasmic vacuoles in approximately 48 h. There was no ultrastructural evidence of HIV-1 replication in trichomonads. These results demonstrated that trichomonads may internalize and harbor HIV-1 particles for short periods of time. In addition, under in vitro conditions, T. vaginalis ingests and digests HIV-1-infected lymphocytes.
ISSN:1066-5234
1550-7408
DOI:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2003.tb00104.x