Replicative capacity of HIV-2, like HIV-1, correlates with severity of immunodeficiency.
We have obtained 15 HIV-2 isolates from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 24 HIV-2-infected west African people. The frequency of virus isolation correlated with the severity of HIV-2 infection; only three isolates were obtained from 11 asymptomatic individuals, whereas virus was isolated from nearly all (12 of 13) individuals with symptoms. The HIV-2 isolates showed distinct replicative and cytopathic characteristics and, similarly to HIV-1 isolates, could be divided into two major groups: rapid/high and slow/low. Rapid/high isolates, i.e. isolates with the ability to replicate in tumour cell lines, were obtained from individuals with symptomatic HIV-2 infection and CD4+ lymphocyte counts less than 360/microliters blood; these isolates induced syncytia in PBMC cultures. HIV-2 isolates unable to replicate continuously in tumour cell lines (slow/low isolates) induced small syncytia, cell death, or no cytopathic effect at all. All HIV-2 isolates obtained from asymptomatic individuals showed a slow/low replication pattern.
Department of Virology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
J
J
Albert
A
A
Nauclér
B
B
Böttiger
P A
PA
Broliden
P
P
Albino
S A
SA
Ouattara
C
C
Björkegren
A
A
Valentin
G
G
Biberfeld
E M
EM
Fenyö
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014779:Virus Replication