[Detection of proviral HIV DNA with polymerase chain reaction in the epidermis]

The infection of cells of the epidermis with HIV can still not be taken as proved, since the demonstration of HIV in Langerhans cells has not been universally accepted. In our study, the polymerase chain reaction was used to look for proviral HIV-DNA in epidermal cells collected by the suction blister technique. The primers flanked sequences of the gp41-encoding region of the env gene and hybridized with highly conserved HIV-DNA sequences. Amplified sequences were detected by the dot-blot technique. The PCR revealed HIV-DNA in epidermals cells of four HIV patients. In addition, HIV-DNA was detected in the mononuclear cells of the blood in the same patients by the PCR. These results strongly support the notion that in addition to blood cells, epidermal cells of HIV patients are also infected with HIV.