title: Integrin α4β7 Expression Increases HIV Susceptibility in Activated Cervical CD4+ T Cells by an HIV Attachment-Independent Mechanism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  CD4 T cells are crucial for the establishment and dissemination of HIV in mucosal tissues during acute infection. Studies indicate that integrin α4β7 CD4 T cells are preferentially infected by HIV in vitro and during acute SIV infection. The integrin α4β7 is thought to promote HIV capture by target cells; however, the role of integrin α4β7 in HIV transmission remains controversial. In this study, we characterized immune phenotypes of human cervical T cells and examined HIV preference in integrin α4β7 CD4 T cells. In vitro all-trans retinoic acid-differentiated peripheral CD4 T cells (atRA-differentiated cells) were included as a comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both peripheral and cervical cells, the majority of HIV p24 cells were activated CD4 T cells expressing integrin α4β7. Among infected atRA-differentiated cells, the frequency of CCR5 expression was higher in HIV p24 cells than in HIV p24 cells; no such difference was observed in cervical cells. Neither the cyclic hexapeptide CWLDVC nor a monoclonal antibody against integrin α4β7 blocked HIV attachment or gp120 binding to target cells regardless of the presence of CD4, indicating that integrin α4β7 did not facilitate HIV capture by target cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integrin α4β7 expression increases HIV susceptibility, but the mechanism is not through promoting HIV binding to target cells.
authors.affiliation: *Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ; Departments of †Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; ‡Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health; §Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ; and ‖Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Carley
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tasker
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lespinasse
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald-Bocarsly
authors.forename: Wuyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Theresa Li-Yun
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D016023:Integrins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D053585:Virus Attachment
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; C071777:integrin alpha4beta7; D014212:Tretinoin