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CD8+CD4- lymphocyte lines can harbor the AIDS virus in vitro
H Tsubota1, D J Ringler, M Kannagi
1Harvard Medical School, New England Regional Primate Research Center, Southborough, MA 01772.
Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
|August 1, 1989
Summary
Researchers found that CD8+CD4- lymphocytes can harbor AIDS viruses, expressing viral proteins and generating reverse transcriptase activity. This suggests these cells may act as viral reservoirs, complicating the study of HIV-1-specific T lymphocytes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Understanding T lymphocyte responses is crucial for defining AIDS pathogenesis.
- Generating cloned T cell populations is essential for characterizing virus-specific T lymphocytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the susceptibility of CD8+CD4- lymphocyte lines to AIDS viruses.
- To determine if CD8+CD4- cells can serve as reservoirs for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).
Main Methods:
- Derived CD8+CD4- lymphocyte lines from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of SIV-infected rhesus monkeys and HIV-1-infected humans.
- Utilized immunoelectronmicroscopy and two-color immunohistochemistry for single-cell infection confirmation.
- Assessed expression of AIDS virus-encoded proteins and reverse transcriptase activity.
Main Results:
- CD8+CD4- lymphocyte lines from infected individuals harbored AIDS viruses.
- These cells expressed viral proteins and exhibited reverse transcriptase activity.
- Single-cell analysis confirmed infection of CD8+CD4- lymphocytes.
Conclusions:
- CD8+CD4- lymphocytes can be infected by and harbor AIDS viruses.
- These cells may function as reservoirs for SIV and HIV-1.
- The susceptibility of CD8+CD4- cells poses challenges for generating cloned, functional T lymphocyte populations from infected individuals.