title: Confocal microscopy assessment of lymphoid tissues with follicular hyperplasia from patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of lymphoid tissues during follicular hyperplasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 10 tonsil/adenoid, 3 parotid lymphoepithelial cyst, and 7 lymph node specimens that had been surgically removed from 13 patients infected with HIV-1. Characteristics of productive HIV-1 infection were assessed using immunocytochemistry for HIV-1 p24. Cellular colocalization was determined with the aid of a confocal microscope using double immunofluorescent staining for HIV-1 p24 and cell-specific markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All specimens showed follicular hyperplasia. Using confocal microscopy with three-dimensional reconstruction, HIV-1 p24 was seen to be "intimately" colocalized with CD21 within the germinal centers. While lymphoid follicles were generally hyperplastic, only a subset of these follicles contained HIV-1 p24. Occasional HIV-1-expressing mononuclear cells identified outside follicles stained for CD68 or CD3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differential involvement of hyperplastic follicles by HIV-1 within individual lymphoid tissues and the intimate colocalization of HIV-1 p24 and CD21 suggest that infected follicular dendritic cells may be an important reservoir of HIV-1 during follicular hyperplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soontornniyomkij
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kapadia
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Achim
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wiley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019310:Pseudolymphoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24