Lack of permissivity of human monoclonal CD4+ lymphocytes to HIV

Although knowledge has accumulated about GP110-CD4 interaction, viral penetration into human CD4+ lymphocytes remains unclear, in spite of the fact that all studies on HIV infection were performed on cell-transformed lineages, or on human polyclonal CD4+ cells. In order to investigate this viral entrance into susceptible cells, we studied the permissivity of 13 human monoclonal CD4+ lymphocytes by means of reverse transcriptase (RT) assay and immunocapture. We demonstrated a differential susceptibility to HIV of these CD4+ clones. In a second experiment, HIV infection was studied: (1) sequentially by RT assay and P24 immunocapture on several clones; (2) by cocultivation of infected clones with umbilical cord lymphocytes. These experiments suggested existence of permissive and "nonpermissive" CD4+ monoclonal lymphocytes. Slot blot, then PCR, revealed that proviral DNA sequences were detectable in all clones, but were present at lower levels in nonpermissive clones.