[Inhibitory effect of human saliva on HIV-1 infectivity]

Human saliva is known to decrease human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infectivity in vitro. The purpose of this study was to confirm these findings and to explore the mechanism of action of saliva. Whole saliva from seronegative donors was incubated with HIV-1IIIB chronically infected MOLT 4 cells (MOLT 4/HIV-1IIIB cells) or cell-free HIV-1IIIB or KMT strains. We monitored viral infectivity by using MAGI/CCR5 cells. Whole saliva with Na levels less than 20 mEq/l rapidly damaged MOLT 4/HIV-1IIIB cells, thereby HIV infection to MAGI/CCR5 cells by MOLT 4/HIV-1IIIB cells was nearly abolished. On the contrary, in the cace of whole saliva with Na levels more than 23 mEq/l which damaged few cells, cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1IIIB was prevented by more than 50%. The infectivity of cell-free HIV-1IIIB to MAGI/CCR5 cells was abolished after incubating and filtering the HIV with whole saliva. Depletion of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) from whole saliva resulted in a 11-28% decrease in the anti HIV-1KMT activity of saliva. Preincubation of host cells with whole saliva led to an enhancement of the HIV infection rather than inhibition. Whole saliva had no effect on the expression level of the cellular receptors (CD4, CXCR4 and CCR5). These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of whole saliva on HIV-1 infectivity is directly linked to the virus itself rather than on the host cell. Moreover, the physical entrapment of cell-free HIV-1 by whole saliva seems to have major salivaly defence mechanisms against HIV-1 infection through the oral cavity.