Genital tract interleukin-8 but not interleukin-1beta or interleukin-6 concentration is associated with bacterial vaginosis and its clearance in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women.

Genital tract infections and cytokine perturbations are associated with increased HIV acquisition and transmission. We measured the relationship between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and concentrations of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) specimens collected longitudinally from 16 HIV-infected and 8 HIV-uninfected high-risk women. CVL samples were analyzed when women presented with BV, and at their next visit, after successful treatment, when BV was cleared. A subset of participants had cytokine levels evaluated at three consecutive clinic visits: before developing BV, at the time of BV diagnosis, and after clearing BV. Significantly higher IL-8, but not IL-1beta or IL-6 levels were present when women had active BV compared to when BV was absent. Trends in cytokine levels were similar for HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women. BV in these women was associated with significantly higher concentrations of genital tract IL-8 which decreased 2.4 fold when BV was cleared.