title: Conjugates of dendritic cells and memory T lymphocytes from skin facilitate productive infection with HIV-1.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pope
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Betjes
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirmand
authors.forename: P U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gezelter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuler
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Steinman
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24