title: HIV-1 infectivity of human T cells in a human/murine chimeric fetal thymic organ culture system.
abstract: Human cord blood (HuCB) can colonize a murine fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC) and generate phenotypically immature (CD4+ CD8+) and mature (CD4+ CD8-; CD4- CD8+) T cells. We have used this model system to demonstrate that the human T cells that develop in this culture system can be infected with HIV-1. A cytopathic and non-cytopathic patient isolate of HIV-1 were used to infect FTOC established using C.B-17 or NOD/LtSz.scid/scid strain fetal thymic lobes colonized with HuCB. At 13-15 days after infection, FTOC were placed in co-culture with human PHA-blasts. These co-cultures demonstrated the presence of replicating HIV-1. Few human CD45+ cells were detectable in the thymic lobes that were infected with HIV-1, while high numbers of human CD45+ T cells were present in the uninfected cultures. These results demonstrate the cytopathicity of HIV-1 on human T lymphocytes that have developed in a HuCB colonized FTOC system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01605, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Greiner
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Shultz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deluca
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Leif
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Christianson
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hesselton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens