Vaginal epidermal dendritic cells: defense against HIV-1 or a safe haven?
Stephan Caucheteux, Vincent Piguet
Stephan Caucheteux, Vincent Piguet
Published July 9, 2018
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2018;128(8):3228-3230. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI121744.
View: Text | PDF
Commentary Article has an altmetric score of 2

Vaginal epidermal dendritic cells: defense against HIV-1 or a safe haven?

Abstract

Langerhans cells (LCs) are likely among the first targets of HIV-1 infection due to their localization in mucosal tissues. In their recent work, Pena-Cruz and colleagues were able to study HIV-1 infection in vaginal epithelial DCs (VEDCs), termed CD1a+ VEDCs. They show that VEDCs are distinct from other blood- and tissue-derived DCs or LCs because they express the protein langerin but not the lectin receptor DC-SIGN, and they do not have Birbeck granules. The results from this study indicate that HIV-1 using CXCR4 replicates poorly in VEDCs but that a higher replication for HIV-1 using CCR5 strains is supported by VDECs. Furthermore, Pena-Cruz and colleagues demonstrate that VDECs can represent a viral reservoir in HIV-1–infected virologically suppressed women. As such, VDECs may represent another sanctuary of viral persistence and can be an additional obstacle to viral eradication.

Authors

Stephan Caucheteux, Vincent Piguet

×

Figure 1

VDECs and HIV-1.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
VDECs and HIV-1. CD1a+ VEDCs are purified from the vaginal epithelium. V...
CD1a+ VEDCs are purified from the vaginal epithelium. VEDCs preferentially replicate HIV-1 using CCR5. VEDCs express SAMHD1, which acts as a cellular restriction to HIV-1. However, although VEDCs can be gatekeepers by not being infected efficiently by CXCR4-using HIV-1 strains, they can contain virus even in virologically suppressed women and are therefore potential reservoirs for the virus.