| ironjustice@aol.com 2006-08-13, 4:27 pm |
| Iron balance and iron-regulatory system alterations correlate with HIV
and TB disease progression
Virus Weekly via NewsEdge Corporation :.
2006 JUL 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Iron balance and iron-regulatory system
alterations correlate with the progression of HIV and tuberculosis
disease.
According to a recent review from England, "There are many lines of
evidence illustrating that iron plays a pivotal role in modulating the
battle for survival between mammalian hosts and their pathogens. Each
displays considerable genetic investment in a wide range of mechanisms
for acquiring and maintaining iron.
"These competitive mechanisms are highly complex, existing within an
interacting matrix of absorption, transport, storage and detoxification
systems, each of which are iron-responsive and thus able to adapt to
the different phases of infection.".
"Considerable genetic polymorphism in some of these systems, with
signals of geographic selection in the hosts, and niche selection in
the pathogens, indicates that they are critical for species survival,"
J.M. McDermid and colleagues at the university London, London School
of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine wrote.
"In this review," said the authors, "we briefly summarize the role of
iron in host immune function before reviewing the available evidence
that iron modulates susceptibility and disease outcomes in HIV and TB
(tuberculosis).
"We then examine the putative role of iron-related host genes by
focusing on two candidate genes, haptoglobin and NRAMPI, for which
there are common polymorphic variants in humans with strong evidence of
functionally distinct biochemical phenotypes that would be predicted to
influence the course of HIV and TB infections.".
"Finally," McDermid continued, "we examine the limited evidence so far
available that nutrient-gene interactions are likely to influence the
way in which gene variants can protect against infection.".
Scientists concluded that there "a wealth of evidence associating
alterations in iron balance and in iron-regulatory systems with disease
progression, but that many issues related to the direction of
causality, mechanisms of action and sensitivity to pharmacological
intervention remain to be elucidated.
"Since iron is probably the most widely prescribed compound throughout
the world, used in both preventative and treatment regimens, a deeper
understanding of the host-pathogen interactions relating to iron
constitutes an important area for both basic and clinical research.".
McDermid and colleagues published the results of their research in
Clinical Science (Iron and infection: effects of host iron status and
the iron-regulatory genes haptoglobin and NRAMPI (SLCIIAI) on
host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis and HIV. Clin Sci (Lond),
2006;110(5):503-524).
For additional information, contact A.M. Prentice, university of
London London School Hyg & Trop Med, Medical Research Council,
International Nutrition Group, Keppel St., London WC1E 7HT, England.
The publisher of the journal Clinical Science can be contacted at:
Portland Press Ltd., Third Floor, Eagle House, 16 Procter Street,
London WC1V 6 Nx, England.
Keywords: London, England, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Iron Regulatory
Genes, Host Immune Function, Iron Balance.
This article was prepared by Virus Weekly editors from staff and other
reports. Copyright 2006, Virus Weekly via NewsRx.com.
<<Virus Weekly -- 07/26/06>>.
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