Blood and Cervical Immune Biomarkers Associated With HIV Susceptibility Are Compromised Rapidly After Sexual Trauma
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Updated: Oct 24, 2026

Collection, Isolation, and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Human Endocervical Samples
Published on: July 6, 2014
Eleanor Capozzi1, Annette M Aldous2, Mariel Jais1
1Department of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Problem:
Sexual violence compromises women's health and increases susceptibility to pathogens. Yet immunobiological consequences of acute sexual trauma remain incompletely understood.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study among women without HIV, comparing women exposed to forced vaginal penetration in the past 4 days (Acute Cases, n = 10), within the past 12 weeks (Cases, n = 10) and never exposed (Controls, n = 12). Sixteen immune biomarkers were measured by ELISA in plasma and cervical swabs. Blood CD4 and CD8 T cells were quantified by flow cytometry. Group differences were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests followed by Dunn's test and Bonferroni correction for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test followed by pairwise Fisher's tests with Bonferroni correction for categorical variables.
Results:
Participants were predominantly Black (66%), publicly insured (59%) and less than 30 years of age (29%). Black women were more likely to be Acute Cases and Cases (p = 0.02). Cervical fluid from Acute Cases showed significantly elevated inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α (p = 0.02), IL-1α (p < 0.001) and IL-6 (p = 0.001); chemokines, IL-8 (p < 0.05) and MIP-3α (p < 0.001); and antimicrobials, serpinA1 (p < 0.001), SLPI (p = 0.035) and elafin (p = 0.001). Plasma biomarkers differed significantly for inflammatory cytokine IL-1α (p = 0.001), acute phase protein CRP (p = 0.03), chemokine MCP-1 (p = 0.043), antimicrobials SLPI (p = 0.001) and HBD-2 (p = 0.03) as well as MMP-1 (p = 0.004) and 9 (p = 0.006). CD4 and CD8 T cell proportions in blood were not significantly different between groups.
Conclusions:
Sexual violence exposure is associated with rapid systemic and mucosal immune dysregulation that may increase susceptibility to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
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