Hyperthermia stimulates HIV-1 replication

An elevation in body temperature or fever is a complex reaction which is triggered in part in response to infection, thereby assisting the immune system to help overcome pathogens.

An elevation in body temperature or fever is a complex reaction which is triggered in part in response to infection, thereby assisting the immune system to help overcome pathogens. During fever there is a physiological elevation of temperature which occurs by increasing the hypothalamic set point and development of inflammation. While the role of inflammatory molecules on HIV-1 replication has been widely studied, little is known about the direct effect of temperature on viral replication. This study reports a temperature of 39.5°C or hyperthermia boosts HIV-1 replication in CD4+ T cells. In single-cycle infection experiments, hyperthermia increased HIV-1 infection between 2 to 7-fold. This effect was mediated in part by an increased activation of the HIV-1 promoter by the viral protein Tat. The results therefore indicate that hyperthermia may help HIV-1 to reactivate from latency and show that the Heat Shock Protein Hsp90, whose levels increase at 39.5°C, play a large part in mediating the positive effect of hyperthermia on HIV-1 infection. Thus suggesting that in HIV-1-infected patients, fever episodes may facilitate viral replication.
 
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