Racial differences in α4β7 expression on CD4+ T cells of HIV-negative men and women who inject drugs

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 8; p. e0238234
• Main Authors: Martin, Alyssa R., Sivro, Aida, Packman, Zoe R., Patel, Eshan U., Goes, Livia R., McKinnon, Lyle R., Astemborski, Jacquie, Kirk, Gregory D., Mehta, Shruti H., Cicala, Claudia, Arthos, James, Redd, Andrew D., Quinn, Thomas C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.08.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Antibodies; Baltimore; Biology and Life Sciences; Black or African American; CCR5 protein; CCR6 protein; CD4 antigen; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug use; Drugs; Epidemiology; Female; Flow Cytometry; Health risks; Herpes viruses; HIV; HIV Seronegativity - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Integrins - blood; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Men; Middle Aged; Population; Public health; Race; Racial differences; Regression analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - blood; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - immunology; White People; Women; Womens health; Baltimore; Canada; South Africa; United States > US; Baltimore Maryland
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238234

We performed a cross-sectional study of HIV-uninfected men and women who inject drugs from the ALIVE cohort to examine if black men and women who inject drugs have higher levels of CD4+ T cells expressing the integrin heterodimer α4β7 compared to white men and women. Flow cytometry was used to examine expression of α4β7 and other markers associated with different functional CD4+ T cell subsets in both men and women who inject drugs. Higher levels of α4β7, CCR5, and CCR6 were observed on CD4+ T cells from black participants compared with white participants. In a multivariable model, α4β7 expression differed by race, but not sex, age, or other factors. Black men and women express higher percentages of α4β7 expressing CD4+ T cells, which may play a role in HIV disease.