image: Tracking HIV transmission. Features of sexually exposed mucosal compartments contribute to the relative vulnerability of HIV transmission. Three major anatomical compartments that drive the sexually transmitted HIV-1 epidemic are featured with insets of local histology. Left, (Insertive): Penile with urethral, glans, foreskin histology. Upper right (Receptive): Lower female genital tract (cervix and vagina) with vaginal wall and endocervical canal histology. Lower right (Receptive): Colorectum with colorectal histology. Note the generally more vulnerable single-cell epithelia present in colorectal and endocervical canal as well as the relatively increased area of exposure in the colorectum. Current findings that receptive compartments are at increased risk for HIV infection over insertive tissues are reflected by the relative size of the arrows indicating ejaculate and, in reverse, vaginal or rectal fluid. This image is figure 2 from the Perspective. This image relates to an article that appeared in the April 6, 2011, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The Perspective, by Dr. Peter Anton of the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, Calif., and colleagues, was titled, “HIV Transmission: Time for Translational Studies to Bridge the Gap.” view more
Credit: Image: C. Bickel/<i>Science</i> © 2011 AAAS