HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNÉ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes.
Mucosal Immunol
; 9(4): 1027-38, 2016 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26555708
ABSTRACT
Sex workers practicing in high HIV endemic areas have been extensively targeted to test anti-HIV prophylactic strategies. We hypothesize that in women with high levels of genital exposure to semen changes in cervico-vaginal mucosal and/or systemic immune activation will contribute to a decreased susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. To address this question, we assessed sexual activity and immune activation status (in peripheral blood), as well as cellular infiltrates and gene expression in ectocervical mucosa biopsies in female sex workers (FSWs; n=50), as compared with control women (CG; n=32). FSWs had low-to-absent HIV-1-specific immune responses with significantly lower CD38 expression on circulating CD4(+) or CD8(+) T-cells (both P<0.001) together with lower cervical gene expression of genes associated with leukocyte homing and chemotaxis. FSWs also had increased levels of interferon-É (IFNÉ) gene and protein expression in the cervical epithelium together with reduced expression of genes associated with HIV-1 integration and replication. A correlative relationship between semen exposure and elevated type-1 IFN expression in FSWs was also established. Overall, our data suggest that long-term condomless sex work can result in multiple changes within the cervico-vaginal compartment that would contribute to sustaining a lower susceptibility for HIV-1 infection in the absence of HIV-specific responses.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Contexto em Saúde:
2_ODS3
Problema de saúde:
2_enfermedades_transmissibles
Assunto principal:
Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos
/
Infecções por HIV
/
HIV-1
/
Interferons
/
Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos
/
Profissionais do Sexo
/
Mucosa
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mucosal Immunol
Assunto da revista:
ALERGIA E IMUNOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2016
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos