Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women

Christina Gosmann; Melis N. Anahtar; Scott A. Handley; Mara Farcasanu; Galeb Abu-Ali; Brittany A. Bowman; Nikita Padavattan; Chandni Desai; Lindsay Droit; Amber Moodley; Mary Dong; Yuezhou Chen; Nasreen Ismail; Thumbi Ndung'u; Musie S. Ghebremichael; Duane R. Wesemann; Caroline Mitchell; Krista L. Dong; Curtis Huttenhower; Bruce D. Walker; Herbert W. Virgin; Douglas S. Kwon

doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women

Christina Gosmann, Melis N. Anahtar, Scott A. Handley, Mara Farcasanu, Galeb Abu-Ali, Brittany A. Bowman, Nikita Padavattan, Chandni Desai, Lindsay Droit, Amber Moodley, Mary Dong, Yuezhou Chen, Nasreen Ismail, Thumbi Ndung'u, Musie S. Ghebremichael, Duane R. Wesemann, Caroline Mitchell, Krista L. Dong, Curtis Huttenhower, Bruce D. WalkerHerbert W. Virgin, Douglas S. Kwon

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

472 Scopus citations

Abstract

Elevated inflammation in the female genital tract is associated with increased HIV risk. Cervicovaginal bacteria modulate genital inflammation; however, their role in HIV susceptibility has not been elucidated. In a prospective cohort of young, healthy South African women, we found that individuals with diverse genital bacterial communities dominated by anaerobes other than Gardnerella were at over 4-fold higher risk of acquiring HIV and had increased numbers of activated mucosal CD4⁺ T cells compared to those with Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities. We identified specific bacterial taxa linked with reduced (L. crispatus) or elevated (Prevotella, Sneathia, and other anaerobes) inflammation and HIV infection and found that high-risk bacteria increased numbers of activated genital CD4⁺ T cells in a murine model. Our results suggest that highly prevalent genital bacteria increase HIV risk by inducing mucosal HIV target cells. These findings might be leveraged to reduce HIV acquisition in women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	29-37
Number of pages	9
Journal	Immunity
Volume	46
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013
State	Published - Jan 17 2017

Keywords

HIV acquisition
HIV susceptibility
female genital tract (FGT)
mucosal immunology
sub-Saharan Africa
vaginal microbiome

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10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

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Gosmann, C., Anahtar, M. N., Handley, S. A., Farcasanu, M., Abu-Ali, G., Bowman, B. A., Padavattan, N., Desai, C., Droit, L., Moodley, A., Dong, M., Chen, Y., Ismail, N., Ndung'u, T., Ghebremichael, M. S., Wesemann, D. R., Mitchell, C., Dong, K. L., Huttenhower, C., ... Kwon, D. S. (2017). Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women. Immunity, 46(1), 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

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title = "Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women",

abstract = "Elevated inflammation in the female genital tract is associated with increased HIV risk. Cervicovaginal bacteria modulate genital inflammation; however, their role in HIV susceptibility has not been elucidated. In a prospective cohort of young, healthy South African women, we found that individuals with diverse genital bacterial communities dominated by anaerobes other than Gardnerella were at over 4-fold higher risk of acquiring HIV and had increased numbers of activated mucosal CD4+ T cells compared to those with Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities. We identified specific bacterial taxa linked with reduced (L. crispatus) or elevated (Prevotella, Sneathia, and other anaerobes) inflammation and HIV infection and found that high-risk bacteria increased numbers of activated genital CD4+ T cells in a murine model. Our results suggest that highly prevalent genital bacteria increase HIV risk by inducing mucosal HIV target cells. These findings might be leveraged to reduce HIV acquisition in women living in sub-Saharan Africa.",

keywords = "HIV acquisition, HIV susceptibility, female genital tract (FGT), mucosal immunology, sub-Saharan Africa, vaginal microbiome",

author = "Christina Gosmann and Anahtar, {Melis N.} and Handley, {Scott A.} and Mara Farcasanu and Galeb Abu-Ali and Bowman, {Brittany A.} and Nikita Padavattan and Chandni Desai and Lindsay Droit and Amber Moodley and Mary Dong and Yuezhou Chen and Nasreen Ismail and Thumbi Ndung'u and Ghebremichael, {Musie S.} and Wesemann, {Duane R.} and Caroline Mitchell and Dong, {Krista L.} and Curtis Huttenhower and Walker, {Bruce D.} and Virgin, {Herbert W.} and Kwon, {Douglas S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013",

language = "English",

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Gosmann, C, Anahtar, MN, Handley, SA, Farcasanu, M, Abu-Ali, G, Bowman, BA, Padavattan, N, Desai, C, Droit, L, Moodley, A, Dong, M, Chen, Y, Ismail, N, Ndung'u, T, Ghebremichael, MS, Wesemann, DR, Mitchell, C, Dong, KL, Huttenhower, C, Walker, BD, Virgin, HW & Kwon, DS 2017, 'Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women', Immunity, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

TY - JOUR

T1 - Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women

AU - Gosmann, Christina

AU - Anahtar, Melis N.

AU - Handley, Scott A.

AU - Farcasanu, Mara

AU - Abu-Ali, Galeb

AU - Bowman, Brittany A.

AU - Padavattan, Nikita

AU - Desai, Chandni

AU - Droit, Lindsay

AU - Moodley, Amber

AU - Dong, Mary

AU - Chen, Yuezhou

AU - Ismail, Nasreen

AU - Ndung'u, Thumbi

AU - Ghebremichael, Musie S.

AU - Wesemann, Duane R.

AU - Mitchell, Caroline

AU - Dong, Krista L.

AU - Huttenhower, Curtis

AU - Walker, Bruce D.

AU - Virgin, Herbert W.

AU - Kwon, Douglas S.

PY - 2017/1/17

Y1 - 2017/1/17

N2 - Elevated inflammation in the female genital tract is associated with increased HIV risk. Cervicovaginal bacteria modulate genital inflammation; however, their role in HIV susceptibility has not been elucidated. In a prospective cohort of young, healthy South African women, we found that individuals with diverse genital bacterial communities dominated by anaerobes other than Gardnerella were at over 4-fold higher risk of acquiring HIV and had increased numbers of activated mucosal CD4+ T cells compared to those with Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities. We identified specific bacterial taxa linked with reduced (L. crispatus) or elevated (Prevotella, Sneathia, and other anaerobes) inflammation and HIV infection and found that high-risk bacteria increased numbers of activated genital CD4+ T cells in a murine model. Our results suggest that highly prevalent genital bacteria increase HIV risk by inducing mucosal HIV target cells. These findings might be leveraged to reduce HIV acquisition in women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

AB - Elevated inflammation in the female genital tract is associated with increased HIV risk. Cervicovaginal bacteria modulate genital inflammation; however, their role in HIV susceptibility has not been elucidated. In a prospective cohort of young, healthy South African women, we found that individuals with diverse genital bacterial communities dominated by anaerobes other than Gardnerella were at over 4-fold higher risk of acquiring HIV and had increased numbers of activated mucosal CD4+ T cells compared to those with Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities. We identified specific bacterial taxa linked with reduced (L. crispatus) or elevated (Prevotella, Sneathia, and other anaerobes) inflammation and HIV infection and found that high-risk bacteria increased numbers of activated genital CD4+ T cells in a murine model. Our results suggest that highly prevalent genital bacteria increase HIV risk by inducing mucosal HIV target cells. These findings might be leveraged to reduce HIV acquisition in women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

KW - HIV acquisition

KW - HIV susceptibility

KW - female genital tract (FGT)

KW - mucosal immunology

KW - sub-Saharan Africa

KW - vaginal microbiome

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009172894&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

DO - 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.12.013

M3 - Article

C2 - 28087240

AN - SCOPUS:85009172894

SN - 1074-7613

VL - 46

SP - 29

EP - 37

JO - Immunity

JF - Immunity

IS - 1

ER -

Lactobacillus-Deficient Cervicovaginal Bacterial Communities Are Associated with Increased HIV Acquisition in Young South African Women

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Keywords

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