Chronic immune barrier dysregulation among women with a history of violence victimization
Alison Swaims-Kohlmeier, … , Igho Ofotokun, Jacob E. Kohlmeier
Alison Swaims-Kohlmeier, … , Igho Ofotokun, Jacob E. Kohlmeier
Published May 16, 2019
Citation Information: JCI Insight. 2019;4(10):e126097. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.126097.
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Research Article Immunology

Chronic immune barrier dysregulation among women with a history of violence victimization

Abstract

We explored the association between violence victimization and increased risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in women by measuring cellular immune barrier properties from the female reproductive tract. STI-negative participants reporting repeated prior victimization occurrences through the lifetime trauma and victimization history (LTVH) instrument were more likely to exhibit alterations in barrier homeostasis and the composition of critical immune mediators irrespective of demographic parameters or presence of bacterial vaginosis. By combining cellular data with mixed-effect linear modeling, we uncovered differences in local T cells, MHCII+ antigen–presenting cells, and epithelial cells indicative of altered trafficking behavior, increased immunosuppressive function, and decreased barrier integrity at sites of STI exposure that correlate most strongly with LTVH score. These data evidence a biological link between a history of violence victimization and risk of STI acquisition through immune dysregulation in the female reproductive tract.

Authors

Alison Swaims-Kohlmeier, Lisa B. Haddad, Zheng-Rong Tiger Li, Kathryn A. Brookmeyer, James M. Baker, Cathy Spatz Widom, James C. Lamousin, Kai-Hua Chi, Cheng Y. Chen, Ellen N. Kersh, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz, Matthew Hogben, Igho Ofotokun, Jacob E. Kohlmeier

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Figure 1

The LTVH score is associated with T cell ratios in PBMC.

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The LTVH score is associated with T cell ratios in PBMC. (A) The CD4+/CD...
(A) The CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio measured from PBMCs (n = 41) and correlated to LTVH score, Chronic Stress Scale (CSS) score, or Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score from participants. Significance calculated by Pearson’s correlation (r = 0.06, and P = 0.721). (B) Box-and-whisker plot of the CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio compared by participants grouped by either high or low LTVH events reported. The high LTVH–scoring group exhibited a higher mean T cell ratio (*P = 0.046) compared with the low LTVH–scoring group. Significance calculated by an unpaired, 2-tailed Student’s t test. Gray shading represents the reference range of PBMC T cell ratios for women. Box-and-whisker plot depicts the interquartile range with median bar and with whiskers depicting minimum and maximum values.