The HIV-1 reservoir in the female genital tract
Belec, L.
Africa Health 21(3): 19-21
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0141-9536 PMID: 12295278 Document Number: 283465
Histopathological studies conducted clearly demonstrate that the genital tract of HIV-infected women is an active site for viral replication, as it contains virus-producing cells; these are especially concentrated in the submucosa of the cervical transformation zone. Biological observation supports this assumption by explaining that virus production in the genital tract of HIV-infected women has its own dynamics of viral replication that are partly independent of the systemic compartment. First, the genital reservoir is dependent on many local factors capable of influencing viral replication, such as the genital activator. Second, HIV variants found in cervicovaginal secretions seem to possess an individual genotype conferring a selective replication advantage in the genital tract. Third, genital HIV production is dependent on other more general and genital cofactors; this indicates that genital HIV carriage is not always related to systemic immunologic parameters. Although antiretroviral treatment can decrease genital production of free virus, which might reduce sexual transmissibility, such treatment should not be considered as a method of preventing prevent sexual transmission.