The Characters Of Immune Cells And Key Moleculars Of HIV-1Infection In Foreskins

Although foreskins play key roles in male sexual transmitted diseases, but the characters of immune cells were not clear yet. In this study, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometery were used to localize and quantify the immune cells of forskins. The most majority of lymphocytes were primay activation T lymphocytes in both inner and outer foreskins. The localization of different immune cells was similar in both inner and outer foreskins, the majority of LCs were in epidermis, T cells could localize in both epidermis and dermis, DCs and macrophages were in dermis. Howerver, ex vivo models of foreskins have demonstrated that the inner foreskin is more susceptible to HIV-1infection than outer foreskin. The mechanism remains elusive. In this study we determined the compartition of HIV-1target cells and quantified those cells in the epidermis and the dermis of inner and outer foreskins by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometric assay. Our data showed that several immunologic features conferred the inner foreskin more susceptible to HIV infection. First, the epithelial layer of the inner foreskin was more enriched in CD4+T cells and Langerhans cells with co-expression of CCR5and a4p7receptors than that in its outer counterpart; Interestingly, the vast majority of CD4+T cells and LCs expressed CCR5but not CXCR4, indicating that the inner foreskin may be more efficient to capture and transmit R5-tropic HIV strain. Second, lymphoid aggregates, composed of CD4+T cells, macrophages and DCs, were more closer to epithelial surface in the inner than outer foreskin; Overall, our data demonstrated that the inner foreskin is more enriched with HIV target immune cells than its outer counterpart, and is structured for efficient communication between immune cells. As known, HIV could hijack the communication pathways among immune cells and thereby facilitate the active HIV transmission and replication.