Effect of antiretroviral prophylaxis on gene expression in the vagina

It is important to understand how, if at all, antiretroviral prophylaxis with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) alone or TDF in conjunction with emtricitabine (FTC) affects gene expression. To ask this question, we used vaginal biopsies from women enrolled in the Genital Mucosal Substudy (GMS) [1] of the Partners PrEP Study (NCT02621242) [2]. Partners PrEP was a randomized Phase III trial of oral TDF or TDF/FTC compared to placebo, which showed that either active drug was effective at protecting against HIV-1 infection. Samples were taken after 24-36 months of oral treatment with placebo, TDF, or TDF/FTC or two months after discontinuation. Treatment adherence was based on plasma TDF concentrations.

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Hughes SM, Levy CN, Calienes FL, Stekler JD, Pandey U, Vojtech L, Berard AR, Birse K, Noël-Romas L, Richardson B, Golden JB, Cartwright M, Collier AC, Stevens CE, Curlin ME, Holtz TH, Mugo N, Irungu E, Katabira E, Muwonge T, Lama JR, Baeten JM, Burgener A, Lingappa JR, McElrath MJ, Mackelprang R, McGowan I, Cranston RD, Cameron MJ, Hladik F