Background:  Mononuclear phagocytes (MP; dendritic cells, monocytes, tissue macrophages, and microglia) are vehicles for viral infection and HIV tissue dissemination within the human host. Interestingly, these same cells are scavengers and immune modulators demonstrating phagocytic, killing, secretory and antigen presentation functions. Virus circumvents these immunoregulatory factors and late in the course of disease secretory MP factors effects cognitive impairments. How virus bypasses macrophage immunity was investigated by proteomics techniques such platforms allow.

Methods:  Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption Inonization Time of Flight, 1 and 2 Dimensional Electrophoresis and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry were used to identified differentially expressed proteins as a consequence of viral infection.  

Results:  The following groups of proteins were identified:   cytoskeletal (tropomyosins, filamin, profiling, FERM domains); redox (Rho GDP dissoctiation inhibitor, peroxiredoxin 1, superoxide dismutase); S100 families; and regulatory (matrix metalloproteinases, gelsolin, apoliprotein E (ApoE), ApoA-I, chitinase-3-like protein, seldin, enolase 1, cystatins, HCGP-39, and HS 70 kDa.

Conclusions:  The role of protein groups in circumventing macrophage innate host defense mechanisms and in secretion of factors that lead to human disease are related to these proteins dysregulations is being developed.