Mucosal Neisseria gonorrhoeae coinfection during HIV acquisition is associated with enhanced systemic HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses
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Date
2008Author
Shina, L Y Y
Ngugi, Elizabeth N
Kimani, J
Rebbapragada, A
Sheung, A
Kaul, R
Gray-Owen, S
Moses, S
Dobson-Belaire, W
MacDonald, K S
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
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Background: The host immune response against mucosally acquired pathogens may be
influenced by the mucosal immune milieu during acquisition. As Neisseria gonorrhoeae
can impair dendritic cell and T-cell immune function, we hypothesized that coinfection
during HIV acquisition would impair subsequent systemic T-cell responses.
Methods: Monthly screening for sexually transmitted infections was performed in high
risk, HIV seronegative Kenyan female sex workers as part of an HIV prevention trial.
Early HIV-specific CD8 T-cell responses and subsequent HIV viral load set point were
assayed in participants acquiring HIV, and were correlated with the presence of prior
genital infections during HIV acquisition.
Results: Thirty-five participants acquired HIV during follow-up, and 16 out of 35 (46%)
had a classical sexually transmitted infection at the time of acquisition. N. gonorrhoeae
coinfection was present during HIV acquisition in 6 out of 35 (17%), and was associated
with an increased breadth and magnitude of systemic HIV-specific CD8 T-cell
responses, using both interferon-gammag and MIP-1 beta as an output. No other
genital infections were associated with differences in HIV-specific CD8 T-cell response,
and neither N. gonorrhoeae nor other genital infections were associated with differences
in HIV plasma viral load at set point.
Conclusion: Unexpectedly, genital N. gonorrhoeae infection during heterosexual HIV
acquisition was associated with substantially enhanced HIV-specific CD8 T-cell
responses, although not with differences in HIV viral load set point. This may have
implications for the development of mucosal HIV vaccines and adjuvants.
URI
http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/11894http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18753933
Citation
AIDS 2008, Vol 22 No 14Publisher
Department of Community Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10377]