title: HIV-1 induces human monocyte-derived macrophages to produce C3 and to fix C3 on their surface.
abstract: Complement components, particularly C3, are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of AIDS and macrophages may serve as a source of C3 at sites of infection. We investigated whether the interaction between HIV-1 and monocytes has any effect on C3 production by the cells. Monocytes isolated from the blood of healthy volunteers were incubated with monocytotropic and T lymphocytotropic HIV-1 strains or with recombinant gp160 and cultured in serum-free medium up to 7 days. Supernatants were tested for secreted C3 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our data show that monocytes cultured with either the monocytotropic or the T lymphocytotropic HIV-1 strains produce C3 in large amounts. The effect of both viruses is dose dependent and the amount of C3 induced by HIV was up to 20-fold higher than in the control samples. C3 production was also enhanced by gp160, the envelope protein of the virus. Secretion of IL-6 by the cells was also measured and found to be elevated up to threefold as a consequence of the interaction with the virus. HIV-1-activated monocyte-derived macrophages acquired the capacity to cleave exogenous C3 and to fix generated C3 fragments on their cell membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Eötvös Lorand University, Göd, Hungary.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bajtay
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kacani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdei
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dierich
mesh_terms: D003176:Complement C3 / Q000276:immunology*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha