HIV-1-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells enhance neutrophil survival and HLA-DR expression via increased production of GM-CSF: implications for HIV-1 infection.
OBJECTIVE
HIV-1 bound to intact neutrophils efficiently infects activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Here, we evaluated the effect of the local milieu created by activated PBMC before and after HIV-1 infection on neutrophil survival and HLA-DR expression, with emphasis placed on a role for GM-CSF.


METHODS
PBMC of healthy adult individuals were activated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or anti-CD3/anti-CD28 and were subsequently cultured without (HIV-1⁻) or with HIV-1 (HIV-1+). The effects of the culture supernatants or recombinant GM-CSF on survival and HLA-DR expression by neutrophils of healthy adult individuals and of HIV-1-infected individuals were evaluated using flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Conditioned medium from PHA-activated PBMC (HIV-1⁻ and HIV-1+) increased neutrophil survival and induced HLA-DR expression by neutrophils of healthy individuals in a GM-CSF dependent fashion. HIV-1 infection variably, but consistently, increased GM-CSF production by PHA-activated PBMC but not GM-CSF production by anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated PBMC. The latter was correlated with a loss of CD3+GMCSF+ cells after infection. Neutrophils of elite controllers exhibited a diminished HLADR response to GM-CSF in culture, whereas neutrophils of HIV-1+ subjects having a low viral load on anti-retroviral therapy or subjects with a high viral load exhibited a range of HLA-DR responses.


CONCLUSIONS
GM-CSF production within the mucosa or draining lymph nodes may promote HIV-1 infection by facilitating sustained contact between viable neutrophils with bound HIV-1 and CD4 lymphocytes. The minimal effect of GM-CSF on HLA-DR expression by neutrophils of elite controllers provides indirect support for this conclusion.
Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Jun
J
Fu
Beverly E
BE
Sha
Larry L
LL
Thomas
D000328:Adult; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor