Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 can be detected in monocytes by polymerase chain reaction.
Lymphocytes and monocytes from 25 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)--13 asymptomatic, seven with the AIDS-related complex (ARC) and five with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)--were lysed and subjected to PCR with three primer pairs: SK38/SK39 (gag), SK68/SK69 (env) and SK29/SK30 (LTR). Amplified DNA was solution-hybridised with 32P-labelled probes (SK19, SK70 and SK31, respectively) and detected by PAGE-autoradiography. HIV-1 DNA was detected as follows. Asymptomatic patients: monocytes--gag 61.5%, env 100%, LTR 0%; lymphocytes--gag 100%, env 92.3%, LTR 53.84%. ARC patients: monocytes--gag 71.4%, env 57.1%, LTR 0%; lymphocytes--gag 100%, env 71.4%, LTR 71.4%. AIDS patients: monocytes--gag 80.0%, env 100%, LTR 0%; lymphocytes--gag 100%, env 60%, LTR 60%. The presence of HIV-1 DNA was confirmed in the monocyte fraction. In this cell subset, the env gene-directed primers were the most effective for amplification, whereas the LTR gene-directed primers failed to amplify HIV-1 DNA. The different pattern of amplification found in monocytes may suggest that these cells could be infected by a genetic variant of the virus.
Quirós
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E
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain.
García
F
F
Maroto
M C
MC
Bernal
M C
MC
Cabezas
T
T
Piedrola
G
G
D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015752:Genes, env; D015750:Genes, gag; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral