Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the infection of mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In developing countries, co-infection of Mtb and HIV are common, as HIV could exacerbate TB. Nevertheless, the reverse impact of Mtb infection on HIV development has rarely been studied. A small-scale study was conducted in Uganda to compare the immune response to antiretroviral treatment (ART) between patients with HIV (PWH) and Mtb and PWH without Mtb. Neutralisation response was measured in the two groups with BP scores, with 0 indicating no naturalisation capacity to 1 representing neutralisation of all 12 HIV variants. Patients with HIV (PWH) who had active infection with Mtb were shown to have broader and more potent HIV antibodies than those without Mtb, as indicated by a higher average neutralisation BP score (β=0.26). In addition, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was measured. After starting ART, PWH with active Mtb had a significantly higher ADCC BP score than PWH with prior Mtb or no Mtb, implying that natural killer cell-mediated pathway may play a role in the enhanced immune response in PWH with active Mtb. However, the investigators found no evidence of cross-reactivity among strains of HIV, increase in all antibodies or duration of antigen exposure in relation to immune response amplification. Therefore, they speculated that Mtb disease led to altered cytokines contributing to antibody production in lymphoid tissues, thus enhancing HIV-1 humoral immunity. The observation paved the way for future research in HIV-1 prevention and therapies with broadly neutralising antibodies.

Reference:

Adeoye B, et al. iScience. 2023 Apr 10;26(5):106631.