Mucosal Serpin A1 And A3 Levels In Hiv Highly Exposed Sero-negative Women Are Affected By The Menstrual Cycle And Hormonal Contraceptives But Are Independent Of Epidemiological Confounders.
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Date
2013-01Author
Rahman, S
Rabbani, R,
Wachihi, C
Kimani, J
Plummer, FA
Ball, TB
Burgener, A.
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
OBJECTIVE:
Serpins (serine protease inhibitors) are associated with protection against HIV infection. Here, we characterized mucosal serpin expression in the genital tract of HIV highly exposed sero-negative (HESN) women meeting our epidemiological definition of HIV resistance in relation to epidemiological variables.
METHODS:
Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) fluid and plasma were collected from 84 HIV-resistant, 54 HIV-uninfected, and 66 HIV-infected female commercial sex workers. Serpin A1 and A3 concentrations were measured by ELISA and compared with clinical information.
RESULTS:
Mucosal serpin A1 was elevated during proliferative phase over secretory phase (P = 0.017*), while A3 remained similar (P = 0.25). Plasma and mucosal serpin A1/A3 levels were not associated with each other and appeared compartment specific (r = 0.21, r = 0.056). Serpin A1/A3 expression did not associate with age (r = 0.009, r = -0.06), duration of sex work (r = 0.13, r = -0.10), clients per day (r = -0.11, r = -0.02), concurrent STIs (P = 0.36, P = 0.15), but was lower in women using hormonal contraceptives (P = 0.034, P = 0.008). Mucosal serpin A1/A3 levels in HIV-infected individuals were not significantly different with disease status as determined by plasma CD4(+) T-cell counts (P = 0.94, P = 0.30).
CONCLUSION:
This study shows the relationship of serpins to the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives, as well as their independence to epidemiological sexual confounders. This information provides a broader understanding of innate components of the mucosal immune system in women.
URI
http://hinari-gw.who.int/whalecomwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/whalecom0/pubmed/?term=Plummer+FA.http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/41296
Citation
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2013 Jan;69(1):64-72. doi: 10.1111/aji.12014. Epub 2012 Sep 13.Publisher
University of Nairobi Department of Medical Microbiology
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10377]