Skip to main content

HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Abdulhaqq, SA; Zorrilla, C; Kang, G; Yin, X; Tamayo, V; Seaton, KE; Joseph, J; Garced, S; Tomaras, GD; Linn, KA; Foulkes, AS; Azzoni, L ...
Published in: Mucosal Immunol
July 2016

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-ɛ (IFNɛ) 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.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Mucosal Immunol

DOI

EISSN

1935-3456

Publication Date

July 2016

Volume

9

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1027 / 1038

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Virus Replication
  • Virus Integration
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Sex Workers
  • Semen
  • Mucous Membrane
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Interferons
  • Interferon Type I
  • Immunology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Abdulhaqq, S. A., Zorrilla, C., Kang, G., Yin, X., Tamayo, V., Seaton, K. E., … Montaner, L. J. (2016). HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes. Mucosal Immunol, 9(4), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.1038/mi.2015.116
Abdulhaqq, S. A., C. Zorrilla, G. Kang, X. Yin, V. Tamayo, K. E. Seaton, J. Joseph, et al. “HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes.Mucosal Immunol 9, no. 4 (July 2016): 1027–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/mi.2015.116.
Abdulhaqq SA, Zorrilla C, Kang G, Yin X, Tamayo V, Seaton KE, et al. HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes. Mucosal Immunol. 2016 Jul;9(4):1027–38.
Abdulhaqq, S. A., et al. “HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes.Mucosal Immunol, vol. 9, no. 4, July 2016, pp. 1027–38. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/mi.2015.116.
Abdulhaqq SA, Zorrilla C, Kang G, Yin X, Tamayo V, Seaton KE, Joseph J, Garced S, Tomaras GD, Linn KA, Foulkes AS, Azzoni L, VerMilyea M, Coutifaris C, Kossenkov AV, Showe L, Kraiselburd EN, Li Q, Montaner LJ. HIV-1-negative female sex workers sustain high cervical IFNɛ, low immune activation, and low expression of HIV-1-required host genes. Mucosal Immunol. 2016 Jul;9(4):1027–1038.

Published In

Mucosal Immunol

DOI

EISSN

1935-3456

Publication Date

July 2016

Volume

9

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1027 / 1038

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Virus Replication
  • Virus Integration
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Sex Workers
  • Semen
  • Mucous Membrane
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Interferons
  • Interferon Type I
  • Immunology