Parallel studies of mucosal immunity in the reproductive and gastrointestinal mucosa of HIV-infected women.

ABSTRACT:

Problem

The effects of HIV on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including CD4 depletion, epithelial disruption, and collagen deposition, are well documented and only partially reversed by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, the effects of HIV on the female reproductive tract (FRT) are poorly understood, and most studies have focused on ectocervix and vagina without assessing the upper tract. Here, we investigated CD4⁺ T-cell frequency, phenotype, and HIV-specific T-cell responses in the endocervix and endometrium of HIV-infected women, comparing these tissues to the GIT.

Method of study

Mucosal samples and blood were obtained from 18 women: four who were HIV-positive and not on cART for at least 3 years prior to sampling, including two natural cont

SUBMITTER: Shanmugasundaram U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7302888 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature