CD161 identifies polyfunctional Th1/Th17 cells in the genital mucosa that are depleted in HIV-infected female sex workers from Nairobi, Kenya.

CD161 identifies a subset of circulating Th17 cells that are depleted in the blood and gut of HIV-infected individuals. In the female reproductive tract (FRT), the pattern of CD161 expression on CD4+ cells remains unknown. Here, we characterized CD161 expression in the FRT of Kenyan female sex workers (FSW). Compared to the blood, CD161+CD4+ T cells were enriched in the FRT of uninfected FSWs. These cells were depleted in FRT of HIV-infected FSWs. Cervical CD161+ cells harboured an activated phenotype (CD69, CD95, HLA-DR) with elevated expression of tissue-homing markers (CCR6, β7 integrin) and HIV co-receptor (CCR5). Mitogen-stimulated production of IL-17 confirmed the Th17 commitment of CD161+CD4+ T cells in the FRT with a predominance of polyfunctional Th1/Th17 cells. Here, we showed that the expression of CD161 on CD4+T cells is modulated at the FRT, but still identified a highly activated cellular subset, which differentiates into pro-inflammatory Th1/Th17 cells, expresses multiple HIV susceptibility markers and are depleted in HIV-infected individuals. The use of CD161 as a biomarker of HIV targets in the FRT reduces the need for functional assessment of cells and could have important implications in better understanding HIV pathogenesis and Th17 fate in the FRT of high-risk women.