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HIV-1 isolates from children with or without AIDS have similar in vitro biologic properties
P Gupta1, A Urbach, L Cosentino
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
Insights
Pediatric HIV-1 isolates show different biologic properties compared to adult strains, suggesting factors beyond viral characteristics influence disease progression in children. This impacts understanding of pediatric AIDS development.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in children can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Understanding the biologic properties of HIV-1 isolates is crucial for determining viral cytopathogenicity and disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the in vitro biologic properties of HIV-1 isolates from children with and without AIDS.
- To assess viral cytopathogenicity as a measure of disease severity in pediatric HIV-1 infection.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 13 perinatally infected children were used to isolate HIV-1.
- Biologic properties were assessed by infectivity of H9 cells and syncytia induction in susceptible cells.
Main Results:
- Most pediatric HIV-1 isolates did not infect CD4+ H9 cells or induce syncytia, irrespective of AIDS status.
- All isolates grew well in adult lymphocytes, contrasting with adult HIV-1 isolates where properties correlate with disease stage.
Conclusions:
- Biologic properties of pediatric HIV-1 isolates are not linked to disease stage, unlike adult isolates.
- Rapid disease progression in children may be influenced by non-viral factors, necessitating further research into host-pathogen interactions.
Objective:
To compare biologic properties of HIV-1 isolates from children with and without AIDS as a measure of viral cytopathogenicity.
Patients And Participants:
Virus isolates from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 13 perinatally infected children were compared for specific in vitro biologic properties.
Methods:
Virus isolates were examined for biologic properties as measured by their ability to infect H9 cells and to induce syncytia in susceptible cells.
Results:
Most of the pediatric HIV-1 isolates failed to infect CD4+ H9 cells and induce syncytia in susceptible cells, regardless of whether they were from children with or without AIDS. All of the isolates, however, grew well in mitogen-stimulated normal adult lymphocytes. These results are in contrast to those with HIV-1 isolates from adults, whose biologic properties were related to the stages of the disease.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that, unlike adult HIV-1 isolates, the biologic properties of pediatric isolates are not related to the stages of the disease. The rapid development of disease in children may therefore be due to factors other than intrinsic properties of HIV-1 strains present in children.