Monocyte-derived dendritic cells are permissive to the complete replicative cycle of human cytomegalovirus.
The susceptibility of monocyte-derived immature dendritic cells (DC) to infection by various strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was analysed. Immature DC were generated by incubation of peripheral blood monocytes with interleukin-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for 7 days and were characterized by a CD1a+/CD40+/CD80+/CD86+/HLA-DR+/CD14- phenotype. Viral antigen expression and production of infectious progeny virus were analysed in infected immature DC cultures. Immature DC were 80-90 % susceptible to HCMV strains that had been propagated in endothelial cell culture, whereas the infection rate was negligible with fibroblast-adapted HCMV strains. Immature DC infection resulted in expression of viral immediate early, early and late genes. Productive infection was proven by the detection of infectious virus in single-step growth curves and in infectious centre assays. It is concluded that HCMV might interfere with the host immune reaction by permissive, lytic infection of immature DC.
Riegler
S
S
Department of Medical Virology, University of Tübingen, Calwerstrasse 7/6, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Hebart
H
H
Einsele
H
H
Brossart
P
P
Jahn
G
G
Sinzger
C
C
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication
D000956:Antigens, Viral