title: Chemokine expression patterns in the systemic and genital tract compartments are associated with HIV-1 infection in women from Benin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Understanding the genital mucosal immunity and the factors involved in linking innate to adaptive immunity is crucial for the design of efficient preventive strategies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of both genital mucosal and blood chemokines were compared between 58 HIV-1-uninfected and 50 HIV-1-infected female commercial sex workers (CSWs) as well as 53 HIV-1-uninfected non-CSW control women at low risk for exposure, recruited in Cotonou, Benin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV-1-infected CSWs had significantly higher blood and genital levels of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-3/CCL7) and monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG/CXCL9) compared with those in both the HIV-1-uninfected CSW and non-CSW groups. In the HIV-1-infected group, levels of MCP-3 and MIG were significantly higher in the genital mucosa than in the blood. However, the blood levels of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1a/CCL3) and MIP-1b/CCL4 were higher in HIV-1-uninfected CSWs compared with those in the other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased production of chemokines in the genital tract may favour the recruitment of HIV-1 target cells causing a mucosal environment that promotes viral replication and dissemination, whereas higher expression of beta-chemokines at the systemic level is associated with protection from HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'immunogénétique, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lajoie
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poudrier
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massinga Loembe
authors.forename: Fernand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guédou
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leblond
authors.forename: Annie-Claude
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Labbé
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alary
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054405:Chemokine CCL3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054407:Chemokine CCL4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054410:Chemokine CCL7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: C515429:CCL3 protein, human; C066507:CCL4 protein, human; C515450:CCL7 protein, human; C080810:CXCL9 protein, human; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D054410:Chemokine CCL7; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9