Abstract

ZAPATA, Wildeman; MONTOYA, Carlos Julio  and  RUGELES, María Teresa. Soluble factors with inhibitory activity against type 1 Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Biomédica [online]. 2006, vol.26, n.3, pp.451-466. ISSN 0120-4157.

The pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection is a complex process that depends on multiple factors, including viral and host immune and genetic characteristics. This leads to a variable pattern of disease progression among those HIV-1-exposed individuals who become infected, while there are a number of individuals who remain healthy and HIV-1 seronegative despite being serially exposed to HIV-1. These variable outcomes of HIV-1 exposure suggest that there are mechanisms of natural resistance to HIV-1 infection. Although several genetic and adaptive immune mechanisms of resistance have been reported in some exposed seronegative and long-term non-progressor individuals, the mechanisms involved in controlling the establishment and progression of HIV-1 infection are not fully understood. Several soluble factors, such as defensins, chemokines, interferons and ribonucleases, among others, produced by cells of the immune system and epithelial tissues, have a broad anti-viral activity that might play a role as protective mechanisms during HIV-1 exposure. A better understanding of the mechanisms and role of these soluble factors during the natural resistance to HIV-1 infection may have important implications for the design of novel therapeutic strategies to combat the morbidity and mortality associated with the HIV-1 pandemic.

Keywords : HIV-1; immunity, natural; ribonucleases; interferons; defensins; chemokines.

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