title: Potential contribution of saliva to the sexual transmission of HIV through the secretion of CCL20 by genital epithelial cells.
abstract: Saliva can be considered as an important actor during sexual intercourse. However, there is no data concerning its influence on HIV sexual transmission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of whole saliva on the in vitro secretion of CCL20 by monolayered HEC-1A endocervical epithelium cells. HEC-1A cells were cultivated in 96-well microplates and incubated with specimens of whole saliva collected from 57 subjects tested seropositive (n = 34) or seronegative (n = 23) for HIV and presenting different oral conditions (healthy periodontally, n = 22, and gingivitis/periodontitis, n = 35). The production of CCL20 in the supernatants of HEC-1A cells after overnight incubation at 37°C was quantified using ELISA. The salivary concentration of lactoferrin (Lf) and IL-1β was tested by ELISA. Saliva samples were found able to stimulate dramatically the production of CCL20 by epithelial cells, increasing this synthesis by a mean factor of 38.1 with reference to untreated cells. This stimulation was equivalent to that observed with IL-1β used as positive control. Although no difference was observed according to oral condition, HIV status or salivary concentration of Lf and IL-1β, the high salivary concentration of the latter protein could acknowledge in large part for the overproduction of CCL20 by HEC-1A cells when stimulated by saliva. Saliva was shown to significantly increase CCL20 secretion and may be responsible for an enhanced recruitment of dendritic/Langerhans cells at the genital level. These results suggest that saliva could facilitate HIV entry and possibly other pathogens through the genital mucosa during heterosexual intercourse.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Department of Morphology, Stomatology and Physiology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; EA3064, Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Faculté de Médecine de Saint-Etienne, Université de Lyon, Saint-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Alan Grupioni
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Marilena Chinali
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Komesu
authors.forename: Alcyone Artioli
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bourlet
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pozzetto
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Delézay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002460:Cell Line; D054418:Chemokine CCL20 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C108355:CCL20 protein, human; D054418:Chemokine CCL20; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007781:Lactoferrin
keywords: CCL20; HIV entry; IL-1β, female genital mucosa; heterosexual infection