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Updated: May 18, 2026

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.
Published on: September 1, 2015
Tubular cell HIV-entry through apoptosed CD4 T cells: a novel pathway
Priyanka Singh1, Hersh Goel, Mohammad Husain
1Center for Excellence for Immunology and Inflammation, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hofstra North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical School, New Hyde Park, NY, USA.
Abstract:
We hypothesized that HIV-1 may enter tubular cells by phagocytosis of apoptotic fragments of HIV-1-infected T cells infiltrating tubular interstitium. The study was designed to evaluate the interaction of programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptors on CD4 T cells and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) on tubular cells (HK2 and HRPTEC, primary tubular cells). Co-cultivation of HIV-1 infected lymphocytes (HIV-LY) with HK2s/HRPTECs resulted in T cell apoptosis, uptake of the apoptosed HIV-LY by HK2s/HRPTECs, tubular cell activation and HIV expression. Cytochalasin-B inhibited tubular cell HIV-LY uptake and anti-PD-L1 antibody inhibited HIV-LY apoptosis and tubular cell HIV-LY uptake, activation and HIV expression. These observations do indicate induction of apoptosis of T cells due to interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 upon co-cultivation and subsequent phygocytosis of HIV-laden apoptotic bodies by tubular cells and thus the transfer of HIV-1 into tubular cells. These findings identify a novel pathway that facilitates HIV-1 entry into tubular cell.
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