{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T06:56:42Z","timestamp":1792825002015,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,17]],"date-time":"2024-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1708128000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01 HL141132"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01 HL141132"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Persistent immune activation is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The NLRP3 inflammasome may contribute to elevated CVD risk in PWH. This study utilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 25 PWH and 25 HIV-negative controls, as well as HIV in vitro infections. Transcriptional changes were analyzed using RNAseq and pathway analysis. Our results showed that in vitro HIV infection of macrophages and PBMCs from PWH had increased foam cell formation and expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components and downstream cytokines (caspase-1, IL-1\u03b2, and IL-18), which was reduced with inhibition of NLRP3 activity using MCC950. Transcriptomic analysis revealed an increased expression of multiple genes involved in lipid metabolism, cholesterol storage, coronary microcirculation disorders, ischemic events, and monocyte\/macrophage differentiation and function with HIV infection and oxLDL treatment. HIV infection and NLRP3 activation increased foam cell formation and expression of proinflammatory cytokines, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying HIV-associated atherogenesis. This study suggests that HIV itself may contribute to increased CVD risk in PWH. Understanding the involvement of the inflammasome pathway in HIV atherosclerosis can help identify potential therapeutic targets to mitigate cardiovascular risks in PWH.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25042367","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,19]],"date-time":"2024-02-19T05:39:56Z","timestamp":1708321196000},"page":"2367","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["HIV Infection Drives Foam Cell Formation via NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Maurizio","family":"Caocci","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation, Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing, 3500 N Broad St. MERB 760, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1055-3728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meng","family":"Niu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2032-374X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Howard S.","family":"Fox","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tricia H.","family":"Burdo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation, Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing, 3500 N Broad St. MERB 760, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2114923","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.14923","article-title":"Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease with Computed Tomography Angiography and Inflammatory and Immune Activation Biomarkers Among Adults with HIV Eligible for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention","volume":"4","author":"Hoffmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Netw. 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