IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59408-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

HIV status alters immune cell infiltration and activation profile in women with breast cancer

Author

Listed:
  • Marcus Bauer

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Pablo Santos

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Andreas Wilfer

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    University Hospital Halle)

  • Eunice Berg

    (National Health Laboratory Service)

  • Annelle Zietsman

    (Windhoek Central Hospital)

  • Martina Vetter

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Sandy Kaufhold

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Claudia Wickenhauser

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Isabel dos-Santos-Silva

    (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM))

  • Wenlong Carl Chen

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    University of the Witwatersrand
    University of the Witwatersrand
    National Health Laboratory Service)

  • Herbert Cubasch

    (University of the Witwatersrand)

  • Nivashini Murugan

    (University of the Witwatersrand)

  • Valerie McCormack

    (Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch)

  • Maureen Joffe

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    University of the Witwatersrand
    University Witwatersrand
    University Witwatersrand)

  • Barbara Seliger

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology
    Medical School Theodor Fontane)

  • Eva Kantelhardt

    (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

Abstract

The breast cancer (BC)-related mortality is higher and the immunity is altered in women living with HIV (WLWH) compared to HIV-negative women. Therefore, tumor samples of 296 black BC patients from South Africa and Namibia with known age, HIV status, tumor stage, hormone receptor and HER2 status and overall survival (OS) are analyzed for components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). WLWH (n = 117), either with suppressed viral activity (HR = 1.25) or with immune suppression (HR = 2.04), have a shorter OS. HIV status is associated with increased numbers of CD8+ T cells in the TME compared to HIV-negative patients; no correlation is found with CD4+ T cell numbers in the blood. Moreover, an increased expression of CD276/B7-H3 and a more pronounced IFN-γ signaling in the tumors are found in WLWH, independent of age, stage, and BC subtypes. In conclusion, altered T cell composition and CD276 expression in WLWH may contribute to inferior survival and can be used for targeted treatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcus Bauer & Pablo Santos & Andreas Wilfer & Eunice Berg & Annelle Zietsman & Martina Vetter & Sandy Kaufhold & Claudia Wickenhauser & Isabel dos-Santos-Silva & Wenlong Carl Chen & Herbert Cubasch &, 2025. "HIV status alters immune cell infiltration and activation profile in women with breast cancer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59408-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59408-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59408-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59408-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julie M. Mazet & Jagdish N. Mahale & Orion Tong & Robert A. Watson & Ana Victoria Lechuga‐Vieco & Gabriela Pirgova & Vivian W. C. Lau & Moustafa Attar & Lada A. Koneva & Stephen N. Sansom & Benjamin P, 2023. "IFNγ signaling in cytotoxic T cells restricts anti-tumor responses by inhibiting the maintenance and diversity of intra-tumoral stem-like T cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Heng-Jia Liu & Heng Du & Damir Khabibullin & Mahsa Zarei & Kevin Wei & Gordon J. Freeman & David J. Kwiatkowski & Elizabeth P. Henske, 2023. "mTORC1 upregulates B7-H3/CD276 to inhibit antitumor T cells and drive tumor immune evasion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meghan J. Mooradian & Florian J. Fintelmann & Thomas J. LaSalle & Judit Simon & Alexander Graur & Alona Muzikansky & Mari Mino-Kenudson & Sophia Shalhout & Howard L. Kaufman & Russell W. Jenkins & Don, 2024. "Cryoablation and post-progression immune checkpoint inhibition in metastatic melanoma: a phase II trial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Yun Huang & Wen-Qing Zhong & Xiao-Yu Yang & Jia-Lu Shan & Ling Zhou & Zhi-Ling Li & Yi-Qing Guo & Kai-Ming Zhang & Tian Du & Hai-Liang Zhang & Bing-Xin Hu & Yu-Hong Chen & Dong Yang & Gong-Kan Feng & , 2025. "Targeting site-specific N-glycosylated B7H3 induces potent antitumor immunity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Vivian W. C. Lau & Gracie J. Mead & Zofia Varyova & Julie M. Mazet & Anagha Krishnan & Edward W. Roberts & Gennaro Prota & Uzi Gileadi & Kim S. Midwood & Vincenzo Cerundolo & Audrey Gérard, 2025. "Remodelling of the immune landscape by IFNγ counteracts IFNγ-dependent tumour escape in mouse tumour models," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59408-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.