ArticleJournal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)2013
Comprehensive assessment of HIV target cells in the distal human gut suggests increasing HIV susceptibility toward the anus.
Article in Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 44 papers.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Special Issue: New Horizons in HIV and Reproductive Health Research: HIV Acquisition and Reproductive Health in Key Populations.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2026Review
- Anal Sex and Tenofovir Douche Sequence Impacts Colorectal Distribution of HIV Surrogate and Douche: DREAM-02.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025Article
- The spatial biology of HIV infection.PLoS pathogens · 2025Review
- Prevalence of HPV in anal cancer: exploring the role of infection and inflammation.Infectious agents and cancer · 2024Review
- Enhanced and sustained biodistribution of HIV-1 neutralizing antibody VRC01LS in human genital and rectal mucosa.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Integrated analysis of rectal mucosal microbiome and transcriptome reveals a distinct microenvironment among young MSM.JCI insight · 2024Article
- High-fat diet feeding exacerbates HIV-1 rectal transmission.mSystems · 2024Article
- Key populations and Sub-Saharan Africa's HIV response.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Sex Differences in HIV Infection.Current topics in microbiology and immunology · 2023Article
- The initial interplay between HIV and mucosal innate immunity.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Review
- Identification of CX3CR1iScience · 2022Article
- The Role of Inflammation in Anal Cancer.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Condomless receptive anal intercourse is associated with markers of mucosal inflammation in a cohort of men who have sex with men in Atlanta, Georgia.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2021Article
- Th17 T Cells and Immature Dendritic Cells Are the Preferential Initial Targets after Rectal Challenge with a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Based Replication-Defective Dual-Reporter Vector.Journal of virology · 2021Article
- Rectal tissue and vaginal tissue from intravenous VRC01 recipients show protection against ex vivo HIV-1 challenge.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2021Article
- Plasmacytoid dendritic cells have divergent effects on HIV infection of initial target cells and induce a pro-retention phenotype.PLoS pathogens · 2021Article
- Interactions with Commensal and Pathogenic Bacteria Induce HIV-1 Latency in Macrophages through Altered Transcription Factor Recruitment to the LTR.Journal of virology · 2021Article
- The Interplay of HIV-1 and Macrophages in Viral Persistence.Frontiers in microbiology · 2021Review
- Inherent Immune Cell Variation Within Colonic Segments Presents Challenges for Clinical Trial Design.Journal of Crohn's & colitis · 2020Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedCurlin, M [corrected to Curlin, Marcel E]
Authors and funding
19 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrevention of rectal HIV transmission is a high-priority goal for vaccines and topical microbicides because a large fraction of HIV transmissions occurs rectally. Yet, little is known about the specific target-cell milieu in the human rectum other than inferences made from the colon.
methodsWe conducted a comprehensive comparative in situ fluorescence study of HIV target cells (CCR5-expressing T cells, macrophages, and putative dendritic cells) at 4 and 30 cm proximal of the anal canal in 29 healthy individuals, using computerized analysis of digitized combination stains.
resultsMost strikingly, we find that more than 3 times as many CD68 macrophages express the HIV coreceptor CCR5 in the rectum than in the colon (P = 0.0001), and as such rectal macrophages seem biologically closer to the HIV-susceptible CCR5 phenotype in the vagina than the mostly HIV-resistant CCR5 phenotype in the colon. Putative CD209 dendritic cells are generally enriched in the colon compared with the rectum (P = 0.0004), though their CCR5 expression levels are similar in both compartments. CD3 T-cell densities and CCR5 expression levels are comparable in the colon and rectum.
conclusionsOur study establishes the target-cell environment for HIV infection in the human distal gut and demonstrates in general terms that the colon and rectum are immunologically distinct anatomical compartments. Greater expression of CCR5 on rectal macrophages suggests that the most distal sections of the gut may be especially vulnerable to HIV infection. Our findings also emphasize that caution should be exercised when extrapolating data obtained from colon tissues to the rectum.
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