Conjugates of dendritic cells and memory T lymphocytes from skin facilitate productive infection with HIV-1.
Experimentally, a productive infection with HIV-1 requires that virus be administered to T cells that are activated by mitogens. We describe a productive milieu for HIV-1 within the confines of normal skin that does not require standard stimuli. The milieu consists of dendritic cells and T cells that emigrate from skin and produce distinctive stable, nonproliferating conjugates. These conjugates, upon exposure to each of seven different HIV-1 isolates, begin to release high levels of virus progeny within 4 days. Numerous infected syncytia, comprised of both dendritic and T cells, rapidly develop. We propose that conjugates of dendritic cells and T cells, as found in the external linings of organs involved in sexual transmission of HIV-1, represent an important site for the productive phase of HIV-1 infection. Because the affected T cells carry the memory phenotype, this site additionally provides a mechanism for the chronic depletion of CD4+ memory cells in HIV-1 disease.
Pope
M
M
Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
Betjes
M G
MG
Romani
N
N
Hirmand
H
H
Cameron
P U
PU
Hoffman
L
L
Gezelter
S
S
Schuler
G
G
Steinman
R M
RM
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002465:Cell Movement; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
D016655:HIV Core Protein p24