Impact of chemokine C-C ligand 27, foreskin anatomy and sexually transmitted infections on HIV-1 target cell availability in adolescent South African males.

ABSTRACT: We compared outer and inner foreskin tissue from adolescent males undergoing medical male circumcision to better understand signals that increase HIV target cell availability in the foreskin. We measured chemokine gene expression and the impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on the density and location of T and Langerhans cells. Chemokine C-C ligand 27 (CCL27) was expressed 6.94-fold higher in the inner foreskin when compared with the outer foreskin. We show that the density of CD4⁺CCR5⁺ cells/mm² was higher in the epithelium of the inner foreskin, regardless of STI status, in parallel with higher CCL27 gene expression. In the presence of STIs, there were higher numbers of CD4⁺CCR5⁺ cells/mm² cells in the sub-stra

SUBMITTER: Gray CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6914668 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature