| Popis: |
Transgender women (TGW) are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STI) compared to men who have sex with men populations. Studies show the social factors that increase the risk of STIs among TGW are condomless anal receptive sex, substance use, and prolonged untreated infections. There are limited studies on the biological factors that modulate STI transmissions. To identify the biological factors, we established an intestinal epithelial cell model to assess the effects of exogenous sex hormones on the response of Caco-2 cells to various proinflammatory stimuli. Caco-2 cells grown as a monolayer were pretreated with estradiol or testosterone, and then stimulated with TLR ligands, or infected with the STI pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Secreted IL-8 was measured in the cell culture supernatant as a marker for cell activation. We found the TLR2 ligand, Pam2CSK4, was a reliable inducer of IL-8 in Caco-2 cells, and that testosterone blunted the induced cytokine response in a statistically significant manner. Although estradiol treatment trended toward a decrease in IL-8, it did not reach statistical significance. This suggests that changes in testosterone levels in transgender men and women undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy could alter the inflammatory milieu of the colon, increasing the risk of infection or transmission of STIs. |
