HLA-G and HIV-1 infection: Altogether, these results suggest that in the context of HIV-1 infection, sHLA-G expression in the female genital tract is a complex process modulated by many factors such as HIV-1, bacterial vaginosis HLA-G genotypes, and cytokine/chemokine expression patterns, which may all contribute to an immunological environment promoting viral replication and escape from the mucosal immune response.