Immune complexes containing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 primary isolates bind to lymphoid tissue B lymphocytes and are infectious for T lymphocytes.
This study investigated the interaction of tonsil B lymphocytes with immune complexes containing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV IC) primary isolates and the infectivity of the B cell-bound HIV IC. Treatment of virus with a source of antibody and complement increased HIV IC binding to B cells by 5.6-fold. Most of the HIV IC that bound to B cells were not internalized but remained on the cell surface and were gradually released over 72 h. Cell-bound HIV IC were highly infectious for T cells while virus released by cultured B cells was only slightly infectious. Removal of HIV IC from the B-cell surface by protease treatment reduced the infection of T cells to near-background levels, indicating that infectious virus remained on the B-cell surface. These studies show that B lymphocytes can carry and transfer infectious HIV IC to T cells and thus suggest a novel mode of infection of T cells in lymphoid tissue that could be important for pathogenesis during HIV infection.
Jakubik
J J
JJ
Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
Saifuddin
M
M
Takefman
D M
DM
Spear
G T
GT
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D016655:HIV Core Protein p24