Placental cytokine and chemokine production in HIV-1-infected women: trophoblast cells show a different pattern compared to cells from HIV-negative women

In utero transmission of HIV-1 has been demonstrated and may account for ar ound 10-20% of all materno-fetal HIV-1 transmission. The possible routes fo r such transmission are transannexial or transplacental. In both cases, the microenvironment (cytokines and chemokines) at the placental interface cou ld be an important regulatory factor in viral transmission. We therefore performed explant cultures of placental villi, and isolated pu rified trophoblasts, from term placentae obtained from HIV-1-seropositive a nd HIV-1-seronegative women in order to assess and compare the cytokine and chemokine secretion profiles using ELISA and semiquantitative RT-PCR. No major differences could be seen in the secretions of cytokines and chemo kines at the level of whole placental tissue in HIV-1-positive and HIV-1-ne gative women. However, variations were observed in the expression of inflam matory cytokines and chemokines from trophoblastic cells, depending on the status of HIV-1 infection of the mothers but not the babies, all of which r emained uninfected. The significance of these data is discussed.