Neutrophils were the largest common type of white bloodstream, accounting for 60 to 80% of all circulation immunological cells in the blood. On the other hand, Neutrophils are exceedingly short-lived that can be frozen & thawed like normal lymphocytes, rendering it incredibly challenging to research, according to research leader Shokrollah Elahi.
A Landmark Study Links HIV To Fast Ageing And Chronic Inflammation
It must be noted here that HIV is one of the diseases for the cure of which the experts still struggle. The link between HIV and aging as well as inflammation can prove tough for the patient as he has to counter them with limited immunity. The team of experts has recently studied a few samples where some of the links between these two health conditions are found, and hence they have preferred to have detailed research in this direction.
Scientists discovered that mysterious white blood particles termed neutrophils have a function in decreased T cell activities and numbers and the systemic inflammatory that is frequent in HIV, in a pioneering investigation of persons surviving with the infection.
“Neutrophils live for hours to a day or two maximum,” Elahi said. “The body produces a lot of neutrophils, and they do their job, and then they die and have to be regenerated in the bone marrow. But even though neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in the blood circulation, their role in the context of HIV has not been very well defined.”
Elahi & his colleagues studied the new blood of 116 HIV-positive patients and 60 HIV-negative persons in the research, which was reported by the journal PLOS Biology. To see if there were any variations among the two categories, they did extensive sequenced on all the proteins produced in neutrophils of all organizations.
“We found that not all HIV-infected individuals have similar types of neutrophils,” said Elahi. “As the HIV disease progresses, neutrophils become more activated and more potent, and in turn activate the body’s T cells, which likely causes some of the problems associated with HIV infection such as inflammation and rapid aging.”
Galectin-9’s Function
Individuals having HIV & various types of cancers have higher amounts of galectin-9 in their bloodstream, according to Elahi’s previous research. Nevertheless, in this most recent analysis, he is managed to pinpoint the cell’s primary origin.
“We found for the very first time that the neutrophil membrane, through a complex mechanism, is covered like a blanket with galectin-9,” he said. “When neutrophils become highly activated, the secretion of galectin-9 can activate T cells through interaction with another molecule called CD44, which then promotes chronic inflammation in HIV patients.”
Keeping galectin-9 from shedding, Elahi believes that inhibiting galectin-9 shedding could be a significant strategy in minimizing several of the detrimental symptoms of HIV disease, depending on his results. Utilizing an artificial antioxidants molecule named phloretin & vitamin C, his group has already achieved significant success in lowering peroxidation.
According to Elahi, the research emphasizes the importance of getting testing as quickly as possible for persons who have HIV or are in danger of contracting the infection.
“We have been looking at phloretin and vitamin C in the lab, and our data are very promising,” Elahi said. “We know that both are good at reducing galectin-9 shedding, so we believe they can prevent the hyper-activation of neutrophils. We hope that our results will spark a renewed investigation into the role of neutrophils in T cell activation in other acute and chronic conditions.”
“If the virus is caught early and they can go on antiretroviral therapy, then it stops disease progression and reduces many of the complications associated with advanced HIV.”
