Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 acquisition in genital mucosa: Langerhans cells as key‐players

. Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) infection occurs primarily via genital mucosal tissues and the cellular mechanisms that affect HIV‐1 acquisition are largely unclear. Langerhans cells (LCs) are professional antigen presenting cells lining the mucosal stratified squamous epithelium. It is bec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of internal medicine 2009-01, Vol.265 (1), p.18-28
Main Authors: De Jong, M. A. W. P., Geijtenbeek, T. B. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigen Presentation
Biological and medical sciences
Dendritic Cells - physiology
Disease Susceptibility
Female
General aspects
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
HIV Infections - immunology
HIV Infections - transmission
HIV-1 - physiology
Human immunodeficiency virus 1
Humans
Langerhans cells
Langerhans Cells - physiology
Male
Medical sciences
microbicide
mucosa
sexual transmitted infection
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - immunology
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - virology
transmission
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Summary:. Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) infection occurs primarily via genital mucosal tissues and the cellular mechanisms that affect HIV‐1 acquisition are largely unclear. Langerhans cells (LCs) are professional antigen presenting cells lining the mucosal stratified squamous epithelium. It is becoming evident that LCs have different functions in HIV‐1 transmission. HIV‐1 can infect mucosal LCs, which subsequently efficiently transmit the virus to T cells in the lymphoid tissues. However, this seems to be dependent on the activation status of LCs, as immature LCs prevent HIV‐1 infection by clearing invading HIV‐1 though the C‐type lectin langerin. Recent data demonstrate that co‐infections with sexual transmitted infection (STIs) negate the protective function of LCs by different mechanisms, thereby allowing LC infection with HIV‐1 and subsequently HIV‐1 transmission. Here, we will discuss the function of LCs under normal circumstances and in the presence of STIs or inflammation. A better understanding of LCs function during homeostasis and inflammation is necessary for the development of new strategies to prevent HIV‐1 infection.
ISSN:0954-6820
1365-2796
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02046.x