Host immune responses to viral coinfection with Human papillomavirus (HPV)16/18 SARS-CoV-2 and HIV: an ex-vivo study

In an ex-vivo study, immune responses to HPV antigens among women aged 18 to 50 years living with confirmed HPV 16/18 positive and previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2, were compared among women with and without HIV. Overall, 23 women with HPV and SARS-CoV- 2 exposure were recruited and 14/23(61%) were WLHIV. Upon stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 and HPV 16/18 antigens, CD4 T-cells from women living with HIV (WLHIV) had lower IL-2 production [median 15.6, IQR(14.0,32.25)] and higher production of Th2 cytokine IL-10; median 4.090,IQR(0.355,5.540)] versus those without HIV [33.2, IQR (27.0,49.75);p = 0.004 and 0.310,IQR(0.1165,1.485), p = 0.012 respectively]. WLHIV had higher CD8 T-cell production of Granzyme B; median 58.4, IQR (47.25,73.45) versus 10.14, IQR (10.06,10.6) among women without HIV; p = 0.001. Upon stimulation with HPV and SARS-COV2 antigens, WLHIV had higher production of CD107a by CD8 T-cells [median 34.8, IQR (9.950,46.1)] versus 3.820, IQR (3.175,17.0) among women without HIV (p = 0.05) and higher TNF-alpha production [median 1.04, IQR (0.24,3.175)] versus [median 0.14, IQR (0.07,0.355)] among women without HIV; p = 0.05. Impaired CD4 T-cell responses to HPV antigens among WLHIV may indicate risk of increased susceptibility to HPV disease progression, particularly during co-infection with SARS-CoV-2.