Osteoblastic cell lines are not susceptible to HIV-1 infection

Osteoblastic cells are in direct or indirect contact with lymphocytes and bone marrow cells that are the main targets of HIV-1. Therefore we analysed whether HIV-1 could infect these cells using three bone cell lines (HOS, MG-63, U2 OS) as a model. These cells were infected with HIV-1 (strain NL4-3) and the supernatants were harvested every day for 20 days for p24 antigen measured using an ELISA immunoassay. The DNA of infected cells was extracted at days 3, 9, and 12 and the PCR for gag gene was performed using Jurkat cell line as a negative control and ACH-2 cell line as a positive control. Our results demonstrated that HOS, MG-63 and U2 OS are not infected by HIV-1. These data were confirmed using PCR that is currently the most sensitive procedure available.