Fetal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection of different organs in the second trimester.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in utero was examined by isolating the virus and detecting the HIV-1 DNA sequence from different fetal tissues. The brain, thymus, lung, liver, spleen, and placenta tissues from fetuses (10-23 weeks of gestation) born to HIV-1-infected asymptomatic mothers were examined. HIV-1 was isolated from 2 of 7, 1 of 7, and 1 of 7 cocultures of splenic, thymic, and trypsin-resistant cells from the liver and placenta, respectively, with peripheral blood mononuclear cells; 20-30% and 40-60% of splenic and of thymic cells were CD4+ lymphoid cells and 40-80% of trypsin-resistant cells were mononuclear phagocytes. The HIV-1 DNA sequence was detected in 4 of 7, 3 of 7, 1 of 7, 1 of 7, 2 of 7, and 2 of 6 samples from the spleen, thymus, brain, lung, liver, and placenta, respectively, using the polymerase chain reaction. In one case, the intensity of the HIV-1 DNA sequence appeared to be correlated with the success of viral isolation. We indicate that fetal HIV-1 infection may frequently occur in the second trimester and the cells responsible for the infection may be CD4+ lymphoid cells and mononuclear phagocytes.
Mano
H
H
Unite de Recherches Inserm U 322 sur les Retrovirus et Maladies Associees, Campus Universitaire de Luminy, Marseille, France.
Chermann
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000196:embryology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D013997:Time Factors
D004279:DNA, Viral