Gardnerella vaginalis-binding IgA in the urethra of sexually experienced males.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Genital inflammation increases HIV susceptibility and is associated with the density of pro-inflammatory anaerobes in the vagina and coronal sulcus. The penile urethra is a critical site of HIV acquisition, although correlates of urethral HIV acquisition are largely unknown. While Streptococcus mitis is a consistent component of the urethral flora, the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis has been linked with prior penile-vaginal sex and urethral inflammation. Here, we use a flow cytometry-based bacterial assay to quantify urethral IgA and IgG that bind G. vaginalis and S. mitis in a cross-sectional cohort of 45 uncircumcised Ugandan men and to evaluate their association with the urethral microbiome and local soluble immune factors.

Results

Urethral antibodies bindin

SUBMITTER: Liu R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11776119 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature