title: Isolation of normal human follicular dendritic cells and CD4-independent in vitro infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).
abstract: Immunohistological and electron microscopy studies of lymph nodes from patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) demonstrated that follicular dendritic cells (FDC), the antigen-presenting cells of the B cell system, contain and may produce the virus. To elucidate the mode of infection of FDC with HIV-1 in vitro we developed an improved method for the preparation of single-cell suspensions of viable FDC with high purity (greater than 90% FDC). These isolated FDC were subjected to human T cell leukemia virus IIIB infection, which was monitored after 4 days in culture using the polymerase chain reaction. We were able to demonstrate that normal human FDC are highly susceptible to infection by HIV-1. Inhibition experiments with the monoclonal antibody OKT4a demonstrate that this infection is independent of the CD4 molecule.
authors.affiliation: Forschungsinstitut Borstel, Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, FRG.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stahmer
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fenner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finnern
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Flad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerdes
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D004279:DNA, Viral