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Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 acquisition in genital mucosa: Langerhans cells as key‐players
Author(s) -
De Jong M. A. W. P.,
Geijtenbeek T. B. H.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02046.x
Subject(s) - langerin , immunology , transmission (telecommunications) , langerhans cell , inflammation , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , mucous membrane , virus , immune system , sexual transmission , biology , virology , dendritic cell , microbicide , electrical engineering , engineering
. Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) infection occurs primarily via genital mucosal tissues and the cellular mechanisms that affect HIV‐1 acquisition are largely unclear. Langerhans cells (LCs) are professional antigen presenting cells lining the mucosal stratified squamous epithelium. It is becoming evident that LCs have different functions in HIV‐1 transmission. HIV‐1 can infect mucosal LCs, which subsequently efficiently transmit the virus to T cells in the lymphoid tissues. However, this seems to be dependent on the activation status of LCs, as immature LCs prevent HIV‐1 infection by clearing invading HIV‐1 though the C‐type lectin langerin. Recent data demonstrate that co‐infections with sexual transmitted infection (STIs) negate the protective function of LCs by different mechanisms, thereby allowing LC infection with HIV‐1 and subsequently HIV‐1 transmission. Here, we will discuss the function of LCs under normal circumstances and in the presence of STIs or inflammation. A better understanding of LCs function during homeostasis and inflammation is necessary for the development of new strategies to prevent HIV‐1 infection.