Direct detection of HIV-1 RNA in epidermal Langerhans cells of HIV-infected patients.
Human Langerhans cells (LC) are bone marrow-derived, HLA-DR+, CD1a+, and CD4+ dendritic antigen-presenting cells found in stratified squamous epithelia. As other members of the dendritic leukocyte family, to which they belong, LC have been reported as targets for HIV-1 infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether HIV-1 RNA is expressed in epidermal LC of HIV-1-infected patients. Bulk epidermal cell (EC) suspensions were prepared from skin of nine recently deceased AIDS patients and 11 seronegative controls. Purified LC (94 +/- 4% HLA-DR+ cells with no CD3+ cells, as assessed by flow microfluorimetry analysis) and LC-depleted EC were obtained by immunomagnetic separation using an anti-CD1a monoclonal antibody. Samples were analyzed for the presence of HIV-1 RNA by reverse transcription of a spliced mRNA region of the tat gene, followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification. HIV-1-spliced RNA was detected in LC from 6 of 9 patients examined, whereas LC-depleted EC fractions from the same patients were all negative. The results indicate that epidermal LC from HIV-seropositive patients actively transcribe HIV-1 proviral DNA, further supporting the hypothesis that HIV productively infected LC could serve as a reservoir of the virus in the epidermis and as a source for the infection of T lymphocytes.
Giannetti
A
A
Clinica Dermatologica, Universitá di Modena, Italy.
Zambruno
G
G
Cimarelli
A
A
Marconi
A
A
Negroni
M
M
Girolomoni
G
G
Bertazzoni
U
U
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral