title: Do chemokines play a role in HIV-1 heterosexual transmission? Susceptibility to HIV infection.
abstract: The probability of HIV transmission depends on the infectiousness of the infected partner, the susceptibility of the healthy partner, and the biological characteristics of HIV strains. A substantial role is attributable to the individual HIV susceptibility, which is affected by immunological and genetic factors. Among genetic factors, the chemokine receptor CCR5 has been thoroughly studied. CCR5 is a co-receptor for fusion and entry of macrophage-tropic variants of HIV-1, which are involved in sexual transmission. Consistent evidence shows that the absence of cell-surface expression of the HIV co-receptor CCR5, due to a homozygous 32 base pair deletion, renders individuals highly resistant to infection by macrophage-tropic HIV strains. Therefore, knowledge of this and of other genetic and immunologic factors that affect HIV-1 transmission is essential in understanding HIV-1 entry into cells, developing strategies for combating HIV-1 transmission and spread, and implementing new models for HIV-1 therapies and, hopefully, vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento AIDS e Servizio di Epidemiologia delle Malattie Infettive, IRCCS L. Spallanzani Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Ubaldo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serraino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peroni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ippolito
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000503:physiopathology; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D015995:Prevalence; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018925:Chemokines; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D016753:Interleukin-10