Review

Interactions between prostaglandins, leukotrienes and HIV-1: Possible implications for the central nervous system

Jonathan Bertin¹, Corinne Barat¹, Sylvie Méthot¹ and Michel J Tremblay^1,2*

• * Corresponding author: Michel J Tremblay michel.j.tremblay@crchul.ulaval.ca

Author Affiliations

¹ Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec - CHUL, 2705 boul. Laurier, Québec (QC), Canada, G1V 4G2

² Département de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

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Retrovirology 2012, 9:4 doi:10.1186/1742-4690-9-4

Published: 11 January 2012

Abstract

In HIV-1-infected individuals, there is often discordance between viremia in peripheral blood and viral load found in the central nervous system (CNS). Although the viral burden is often lower in the CNS compartment than in the plasma, neuroinflammation is present in most infected individuals, albeit attenuated by the current combined antiretroviral therapy. The HIV-1-associated neurological complications are thought to result not only from direct viral replication, but also from the subsequent neuroinflammatory processes. The eicosanoids - prostanoids and leukotrienes - are known as potent inflammatory lipid mediators. They are often present in neuroinflammatory diseases, notably HIV-1 infection. Their exact modulatory role in HIV-1 infection is, however, still poorly understood, especially in the CNS compartment. Nonetheless, a handful of studies have provided evidence as to how these lipid mediators can modulate HIV-1 infection. This review summarizes findings indicating how eicosanoids may influence the progression of neuroAIDS.