CD4 T cells remain the major source of HIV-1 during end stage disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the source of HIV-1 production in lymphoid tissue biopsies from HIV-infected patients, with no prior anti-retroviral protease inhibitor treatment, with a CD4 cell count > 150 x 10(6)/l (group I) or < 50 x 10(6)/l (group II), co-infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium avium complex.


METHODS
Lymphoid tissue biopsies from 11 HIV-1-infected patients, taken for diagnostic purposes, were studied by HIV-1 RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Patients of group I showed well organized granulomas, in contrast with patients of group II, in which granuloma formation was absent. HIV-1 RNA-positive cells in group I patients were found mainly around the granulomas, whereas in group II HIV-1-producing cells were confined to areas with remaining intact lymphoid tissue. Despite the abundant presence of macrophages, the productively infected HIV-1-positive cells in both groups were almost exclusively CD4 T cells.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast with previously published data, CD4 T cells appear to remain the major source of HIV-1 production in end-stage disease.
Department of Virology, University Hospital Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
M E
ME
van der Ende
M
M
Schutten
B
B
Raschdorff
G
G
Grossschupff
P
P
Racz
A D
AD
Osterhaus
K
K
Tenner-Racz
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D001706:Biopsy; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
D012367:RNA, Viral