ANTI-HIV ACTIVITY OF P GINGIVALIS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is transmitted to over 16,000 people each day worldwide. Our ongoing studies indicate P. gingivalis can inhibit HIV entry. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanism by which the P. gingivalis component blocks the course of HIV infection. The specific effort of this proposal is to purify and characterize the inhibitory component of P. gingivalis, which may be capable of interfering with the oral transmission of HIV. Our initial investigation is aimed at determination of the prevalence and the anti-HIV activity of P. gingivalis strains isolated from periodontitis sites in HIV seropositive and HIV seronegative individuals, examination of correlation of viral loads and 17-kDa anti-HIV protein, and investigation of the effect of co-infection of HIV-1 and P. gingivalis on the pathogenicities of the organisms. The knowledge gained from this study is expected to increase our understanding of the rarity of HIV oral transmission and to provide new insights into the viral entry process. Furthermore, the study of the P. gingivalis inhibitory component might lead to the discovery of an additional target to complement current anti-HIV drugs.