<i>Prevotella timonensis</i> Bacteria Associated With Vaginal Dysbiosis Enhance Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Susceptibility Of Vaginal CD4+ T Cells
Nienke H. van Teijlingen, Marleen Y. van Smoorenburg, Ramin Sarrami‐Forooshani, Esther M. Zijlstra-Willems, John L. van Hamme, Hanneke Borgdorff, Janneke van de Wijgert, Elisabeth van Leeuwen, Joris van der Post, Karin Strijbis, Carla M. S. Ribeiro, Teunis B. H. Geijtenbeek
Abstract
Dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome poses a serious risk for sexual HIV-1 transmission. Prevotella spp. are abundant during vaginal dysbiosis and associated with enhanced HIV-1 susceptibility; however, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the direct effect of vaginal bacteria on HIV-1 susceptibility of vaginal CD4+ T cells. Notably, pre-exposure to Prevotella timonensis enhanced HIV-1 uptake by vaginal T cells, leading to increased viral fusion and enhanced virus production. Pre-exposure to antiretroviral inhibitors abolished Prevotella timonensis-enhanced infection. Hence, our study shows that the vaginal microbiome directly affects mucosal CD4+ T cell susceptibility, emphasising importance of vaginal dysbiosis diagnosis and treatment.