HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer

Health outcomes for people with HIV (PWH) have improved significantly with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet the risk of lung cancer remains elevated. While a single case cannot establish causality, we describe here an investigation of a 74-year-old male PWH with de novo high-grade neuro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Davey M. Smith, Elizabeth F. Rowland, Sara Gianella, Sandip Pravin Patel, Stephanie Solso, Cheryl Dullano, Robert Deiss, Daria Wells, Caroline Ignacio, Gemma Caballero, Magali Porrachia, Collin Kieffer, Antoine Chaillon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/7/389
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849406760015626240
author Davey M. Smith
Elizabeth F. Rowland
Sara Gianella
Sandip Pravin Patel
Stephanie Solso
Cheryl Dullano
Robert Deiss
Daria Wells
Caroline Ignacio
Gemma Caballero
Magali Porrachia
Collin Kieffer
Antoine Chaillon
author_facet Davey M. Smith
Elizabeth F. Rowland
Sara Gianella
Sandip Pravin Patel
Stephanie Solso
Cheryl Dullano
Robert Deiss
Daria Wells
Caroline Ignacio
Gemma Caballero
Magali Porrachia
Collin Kieffer
Antoine Chaillon
author_sort Davey M. Smith
collection DOAJ
description Health outcomes for people with HIV (PWH) have improved significantly with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet the risk of lung cancer remains elevated. While a single case cannot establish causality, we describe here an investigation of a 74-year-old male PWH with de novo high-grade neuroendocrine small cell lung carcinoma. To investigate the potential contribution of HIV to cancer development, we performed HIV integration site sequencing on blood, tumor, and non-tumor tissue samples from the patient. We analyzed integration site distribution, clonal expansion, and associated gene disruption. Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) expression was evaluated using immunofluorescence and microscopy. A total of 174 unique HIV integration sites were identified, with 29.9% (52/174) located in clonally expanded cells. The most frequent integration site in clonally expanded cells was within the PTEN gene, representing 4.2% to 16.7% of all HIV-infected cells across samples. PTEN expression was markedly reduced in tumor regions relative to non-tumor tissue. Areas positive for HIV p24 antigen showed minimal PTEN expression. These findings suggest that HIV integration into the PTEN gene, coupled with clonal expansion of HIV-infected cells, may impair anti-tumor immune responses and promote cancer progression in PWH.
format Article
id doaj-art-1a76713b4d7f486a80a94faa50adc044
institution Kabale University
issn 1198-0052
1718-7729
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Current Oncology
spelling doaj-art-1a76713b4d7f486a80a94faa50adc0442025-08-20T03:36:18ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292025-07-0132738910.3390/curroncol32070389HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung CancerDavey M. Smith0Elizabeth F. Rowland1Sara Gianella2Sandip Pravin Patel3Stephanie Solso4Cheryl Dullano5Robert Deiss6Daria Wells7Caroline Ignacio8Gemma Caballero9Magali Porrachia10Collin Kieffer11Antoine Chaillon12Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61820, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USALeidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USADepartment of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61820, USADepartment of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USAHealth outcomes for people with HIV (PWH) have improved significantly with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet the risk of lung cancer remains elevated. While a single case cannot establish causality, we describe here an investigation of a 74-year-old male PWH with de novo high-grade neuroendocrine small cell lung carcinoma. To investigate the potential contribution of HIV to cancer development, we performed HIV integration site sequencing on blood, tumor, and non-tumor tissue samples from the patient. We analyzed integration site distribution, clonal expansion, and associated gene disruption. Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) expression was evaluated using immunofluorescence and microscopy. A total of 174 unique HIV integration sites were identified, with 29.9% (52/174) located in clonally expanded cells. The most frequent integration site in clonally expanded cells was within the PTEN gene, representing 4.2% to 16.7% of all HIV-infected cells across samples. PTEN expression was markedly reduced in tumor regions relative to non-tumor tissue. Areas positive for HIV p24 antigen showed minimal PTEN expression. These findings suggest that HIV integration into the PTEN gene, coupled with clonal expansion of HIV-infected cells, may impair anti-tumor immune responses and promote cancer progression in PWH.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/7/389HIVlung cancerintegrationtumor microenvironmentclonal expansionPTEN
spellingShingle Davey M. Smith
Elizabeth F. Rowland
Sara Gianella
Sandip Pravin Patel
Stephanie Solso
Cheryl Dullano
Robert Deiss
Daria Wells
Caroline Ignacio
Gemma Caballero
Magali Porrachia
Collin Kieffer
Antoine Chaillon
HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
Current Oncology
HIV
lung cancer
integration
tumor microenvironment
clonal expansion
PTEN
title HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
title_full HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
title_fullStr HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
title_full_unstemmed HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
title_short HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer
title_sort hiv integration into the pten gene and its tumor microenvironment implications for lung cancer
topic HIV
lung cancer
integration
tumor microenvironment
clonal expansion
PTEN
url https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/7/389
work_keys_str_mv AT daveymsmith hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT elizabethfrowland hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT saragianella hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT sandippravinpatel hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT stephaniesolso hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT cheryldullano hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT robertdeiss hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT dariawells hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT carolineignacio hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT gemmacaballero hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT magaliporrachia hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT collinkieffer hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer
AT antoinechaillon hivintegrationintotheptengeneanditstumormicroenvironmentimplicationsforlungcancer