Abstract

HIV positive women have a multifold increased risk for HPV infection and are therefore disproportionately burdened by cervical cancer. Since HIV induces dysfunction of different pathogen-specific T cells, We hypothesized that HIV induces depletion and/or dysfunction of cervical and systemic HPV-specific immunity. HIV+ and HIV-, women with and without cervical lesions were recruited into a case control study conducted from 2013 to 2021 in Mbeya, Tanzania. Clinical parameters such as HPV genotyping, cervical lesion diagnosis, HIV viral load, CD4 counts and ART usage was collected. The immunophenotype of cervical T cell was determined by flow cytometry and systemic HPV-oncoprotein specific T-cell immunity was quantified by an ELISpot assay. We reported that HPV16, 18, and 45 are responsible for majority of cervical cancer cases regardless of HIV infection status. HIV infection was associated with depletion of HPV- oncoprotein T-cell immunity, and with depletion and activation of cervical T cells. When combined and discussed, these articles shed more light on the adverse effects of HIV on HPV infection and immunity. Since women living HIV are at increased risk of persistent HPV infection and cervical cancer, more effort should be directed at HR HPV screening and treatment of cervical cancer in these women.