Anti-Human Herpesvirus 8 antibodies affect both insulin and glucose uptake by virus-infected human endothelial cells

Authors

  • Fabrizio Angius University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Enrica Piras University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Stefano Spolitu University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Luisa Marras University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Sara Federica Armas University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Angela Ingianni University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Pierpaolo Contini S. Giovanni Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
  • Raffaello Pompei

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.10381

Keywords:

Human Herpesvirus 8, Endothelial cells, Chronic Viral infections, Viral immunity, Anti-viral Antibodies, Glucose uptake, insuline binding

Abstract

Introduction: Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is known to be the cause of the malignant tumour named Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is believed to induce an intense modification of cell metabolism in endothelial cells. In this work we analysed the role of anti-HHV8 antibodies in both the insulin and glucose uptake of HHV8-infected primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC).

Methodology: Western blotting, immunofluorescence and radiolabelled glucose were employed to assess the pPI3K expression, insulin binding and glucose-uptake by HUVEC cells, respectively.

Results: We confirmed that HHV8-infection is able to enhance both insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected primary endothelial cells; in addition, we found that anti-HHV8 specific antibodies are able to further increase both insulin and glucose uptake during the late latent phase of HHV8-infection in vitro.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that a specific immune response to HHV8-infection may cooperate in boosting the cell metabolism, further enhancing the already increased insulin binding and glucose-uptake in HHV8-infected cells, which is a peculiar property of several oncogenic viruses.

Author Biographies

Fabrizio Angius, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Enrica Piras, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Stefano Spolitu, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Luisa Marras, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Sara Federica Armas, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Angela Ingianni, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Pierpaolo Contini, S. Giovanni Hospital, Cagliari, Italy

Metabolic Disease Service

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Published

2018-06-30

How to Cite

1.
Angius F, Piras E, Spolitu S, Marras L, Armas SF, Ingianni A, Contini P, Pompei R (2018) Anti-Human Herpesvirus 8 antibodies affect both insulin and glucose uptake by virus-infected human endothelial cells. J Infect Dev Ctries 12:485–491. doi: 10.3855/jidc.10381

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Section

Original Articles