title: Latent infection of epidermal Langerhans cells in HIV-positive individuals.
abstract: Epidermal cell suspensions obtained from 3 symptom-free HIV-positive individuals were cultured and marked with monoclonal antibodies for the HIV proteins p15, p24 and gp120 in the alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase staining technique. For 2 individuals, cells were positive after 3 days in culture, and for the third, after 4 days. Supernatant from one of the cultures infected allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We conclude that epidermal Langerhans cells from symptom-free HIV-positive individuals are latent-infected and are able to produce and release HIV.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Dermatol, Rikshospitalet, National Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Braathen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Kunze
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mork
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Strand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004817:Epidermis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male