Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Productively Infects Mature Terminally Differentiated Eosinophils in HIV/AIDS Patients

Eosinophils express membrane CD4 protein and can bind HIV-1 glycoprotein (gp) 120. Therefore, eosinophils could serve as host cells for HIV-1 infection in vivo, especially in the late phase of the infection. In culture, HIV-1 infects eosinophil precursors and primary eosinophils. Additionally HIV-1 proviral DNA sequences have been detected in the eosinophils of some HIV-1 positive patients. Since elevated levels of eosinophils occur during HIV-1 infection and parasitic infections, it implies that co-infection of parasites and HIV-1 could cause a much greater increase in the level of potential HIV-1 susceptible eosinophils. Therefore HIV-1 infection of eosinophils could partly explain the rapid spread of HIV-1 and the exacerbation of the disease especially in developing countries where HIV-1 and parasitic infections run concurrently. This study is a critical analysis of the current knowledge on HIV-1 infection of eosinophils focused on highlighting evidence that HIV-1 can productively infect mature human eosinophils in HIV/AIDS patients