Cellular Human Immimodefidency Virus (HIV)-Protective Factors: A Comparison of HIV-Exposed Seronegative Female Sex Workers and Female Blood Donors in Abidjan, Côte d'lvoire

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2003-01, Vol.187 (2), p.206-214
• Main Authors: Jennes, Wim, Sawadogo, Souleymane, Koblavi-Dème, Stéphania, Vuylsteke, Bea, Maurice, Chantal, Roels, Thierry H., Chorba, Terence, Nkengasong, John N., Kestens, Luc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AIDS; Blood donation; Cytokines; HIV; HIV 1; HIV/AIDS; Infections; Lymphocytes; Sex workers; T lymphocytes; Viruses
• ISSN: 0022-1899

Cellular factors that may protect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were investigated in 27 HIV-exposed seronegative (ESN) female sex workers (FSWs) and 27 HIV-seronegative female blood donors. Compared with blood donors, ESN FSWs had significantly decreased expression levels of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), but not of C-C chemokine receptor 5, on both memory (P < .001) and naive (P = .041)$CD4^+$T cells. CXCR4 down-regulation was associated with prolonged duration of commercial sex work by ESN FSWs. CD38 expression on$CD4^+$T cells was significantly increased among ESN FSWs, compared with that among blood donors (P = .017). There were no differences in HLA-DR and CD62L expression between blood donors and ESN FSWs. Proportions of T cells producing the -chemokines RANTES (regulated on activation, normally T cell-expressed and -secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1̻, and MIP-1̻ or the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, interferon-̻, and tumor necrosis factor-, were similar in the 2 groups. These data indicate that ESN FSWs differ from HIV-seronegative female blood donors with respect to immunological factors that have no clear protective potential against HIV transmission.