Natural Immunity to HIV : A Delicate Balance between Strength and Control

Understanding how the mucosal immune system in the human female reproductive tract might prevent or facilitate HIV infection has important implications for the design of effective interventions. We and others have established cohorts of highly-exposed, HIV-seronegative individuals, such as HIV-uninf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical & developmental immunology 2012-01, Vol.2012 (2012), p.1-10
Main Authors: Poudrier, Johanne, Thibodeau, Valérie, Roger, Michel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Female
Genitalia, Female - immunology
Genitalia, Female - virology
HIV
HIV - immunology
HIV Infections - immunology
HIV Infections - transmission
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Immune response
Immune system
Immunity, Innate - immunology
Immunology
Infection
Infections
Inflammation
Medical research
Mucosal immunity
Prostitution
Proteins
Reproductive system
Review
Sex Workers
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Summary:Understanding how the mucosal immune system in the human female reproductive tract might prevent or facilitate HIV infection has important implications for the design of effective interventions. We and others have established cohorts of highly-exposed, HIV-seronegative individuals, such as HIV-uninfected commercial sex workers, who have remained HIV-negative after more than 5 years of active prostitution. Observations obtained in studies of such individuals, who represent a model of natural immunity to HIV, indicate that HIV resistance may be associated with the host’s capacity to preserve systemic integrity by constraining immune activity and controlling inflammatory conditions at the mucosal point of entry. This likely necessitates the orchestration of balanced, first-line and adaptive immune responses.
ISSN:1740-2522
2314-8861
1740-2530
2314-7156
DOI:10.1155/2012/875821