Genital tract and peripheral blood immune activation is detected in HIV-exposed seronegative women

We analysed immune parameters in PBMC and cervical biopsies of HIV seronega tive women with known sexual exposure to HIV (ESN). Results were compared t o those obtained in HIV-infected (HIV+) or in healthy women without HIV exp osure (HC). The analyses indicate that: I) HIV is not detected in PBMC or c ervical biopsies of either ESN or HC; 2) mRNA for IL-6, IL-IO, IFN-gamma, I L-12, TNF-alpha and beta is elevated in PBMC and cervical biopsies of ESN a nd HIV+ but not in HC; 3) mRNA for CCRS and CXCR4 is augmented in vaginal m ucosal biopsies of ESN and HIV+ compared to HC, but is similar in all three groups when PBMC are analysed; 4) CD4+RO+; CD4+25+; CD4+28-; CD8+28+; and CD8+38+ T lymphocytes are increased in peripheral blood of ESN compared to HC; and 5) a skewing in TcR V beta expression is observed in mucosal biopsi es, but not in PBMC of ESN, These results indicate that active HIV infectio n is not required for T cell activation and raise the possibility that a la tent infection, possibly confined in the mucosal compartment and controlled by the immune response, occurs in ESN.