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Published on: July 6, 2014
Prevotella timonensis Bacteria Associated With Vaginal Dysbiosis Enhance Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1
Nienke H van Teijlingen1,2,3, Marleen Y van Smoorenburg1,2, Ramin Sarrami-Forooshani1,4
1Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome poses a serious risk for sexual human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission. Prevotella spp are abundant during vaginal dysbiosis and associated with enhanced HIV-1 susceptibility; however, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the direct effect of vaginal bacteria on HIV-1 susceptibility of vaginal CD4+ T cells. Notably, pre-exposure to Prevotella timonensis enhanced HIV-1 uptake by vaginal T cells, leading to increased viral fusion and enhanced virus production. Pre-exposure to antiretroviral inhibitors abolished P timonensis-enhanced infection. Our study shows that the vaginal microbiome directly affects mucosal CD4+ T-cell susceptibility, emphasizing importance of vaginal dysbiosis diagnosis and treatment.
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