Immune complexes from HIV-1+ patients contain infectious virus able to infect normal lymphocytes.
It has been suggested that circulating immune complexes containing HIV-1 could be involved in enhancement of the infection through Fc receptors. To test this hypothesis, immune complexes precipitated from the sera of 25 HIV-1-seropositive individuals, at different stages of the disease, were assayed for the presence of infectious virus. When added to phytohemagglutinin-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes, seven of 25 complexes were able to sustain a productive infection. This was demonstrated by release of HIV-p24 antigens in the supernatant of activated but not resting peripheral blood lymphocytes after several days of culture. Moreover, peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured with complexes from HIV-1+ patients but not from control subject, contained integrated HIV-1 provirus in their DNA. These results demonstrated the presence of infectious virus in immune complexes from HIV-1+ patients.
García
R
R
Department of Immunology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
Feijoó
E
E
Guerrero
M F
MF
de Górgolas
M
M
Munoz-Fernández
M A
MA
Fernández-Cruz
E
E
Ortíz
F
F
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24