title: Human colon epithelial cells productively infected with human immunodeficiency virus show impaired differentiation and altered secretion.
abstract: Selected strains of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) types 1 and 2 are able to infect human colon epithelial cells in vitro, suggesting a mechanism for the anal route of HIV transmission. In some cases, HIV is not produced by infected colon cells but can be rescued after coculture with T-lymphoid cells. One of the HIV strains (HIV1-NDK) replicated well in colonic cells. A transmission electron microscope study demonstrated two major structural perturbations in producer colon cells: an unusual number of secretion bodies and the appearance of intracellular lumina with disorganized microvilli, indicating a defect in brush border assembly and differentiation. Either abnormality could account for HIV-induced enteropathy consisting of chronic diarrhea and malabsorption in the absence of enteric pathogens. Moreover, HT29 cells infected with HIV provide a unique model for selection of enterotropic HIV strains.
authors.affiliation: Université d'Aix-Marseille I, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fantini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yahi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baghdiguian
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chermann
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014779:Virus Replication