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.

Morphological Characteristics of Genital Organ-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in the Vaginal Vestibule of Goats and Pigs

“…Langerhans cells are a specialized DC population found in the epidermis of the skin and stratified squamous epithelium of the eye, vagina, cervix, and mouth [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]. VEDCs are major antigen-presenting cells that are important in the innate immune defense, as well as in the generation and regulation of the adaptive immune system against pathogens entering the female reproductive tract [ 40 , 41 ]. In the present study, we showed langerin + DCs in the epithelium of the VV of both goats and pigs, which was consistent with previous studies on VEDCs in humans and several species of animals [ 26 , 38 , 39 ].…”