Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
A Restriction Enzyme Based Cloning Method to Assess the In vitro Replication Capacity of HIV-1 Subtype C Gag-MJ4 Chimeric Viruses
Published on: August 31, 2014
Different localization of dendritic cell reservoirs in human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtype B versus subtype
L Bhoopat1, T S Rithaporn, S Lekawanvijit
1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. lbhoopat@mail.med.cmu.ac.th
Insights
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p24 protein presence differs in lymph nodes between HIV-1 subtype B and E. Subtype B showed a reticular pattern in germinal centers, unlike subtype E, suggesting varied viral behavior.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Pathology
Background:
- Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy is a common clinical manifestation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
- The p24 protein is a major core and capsid antigen of HIV, crucial for viral structure and replication.
- Understanding the distribution of HIV antigens within lymph nodes can provide insights into viral pathogenesis and disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and distribution of HIV p24 protein in lymph nodes of patients with persistent generalized lymphadenopathy.
- To compare the patterns of p24 protein expression between HIV-1 subtype B (United States) and HIV-1 subtype E (Thailand) infections.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry using streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique was employed.
- Paraffin-embedded lymph node sections from 50 HIV-1 subtype E and 25 HIV-1 subtype B infected patients were analyzed.
- Monoclonal antibodies targeting the p24 HIV major core and capsid were used for immunostaining.
Main Results:
- HIV p24 protein positivity was detected in 20 of 22 (90.9%) HIV-1 subtype B infected lymph nodes with lymphoid follicles.
- A distinct reticular staining pattern of p24 protein was observed within the germinal centers of HIV-1 subtype B infected nodes.
- None of the 50 HIV-1 subtype E infected lymph nodes with lymphoid follicles exhibited this reticular pattern in germinal centers.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant difference in the pattern of HIV p24 protein distribution within lymph node germinal centers between HIV-1 subtypes B and E.
- This differential pattern may be attributed to the distinct tropism of HIV-1 clades for specific dendritic cell subsets.
- Alternative explanations include variations in the routes of initial HIV-1 transmission and subsequent viral dissemination.
Abstract:
The presence of p24 protein was studied in lymph nodes from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients affected by persistent generalized lymphadenopathy. Paraffin-embedded lymph node sections from 50 HIV-1 subtype E-infected lymph nodes from patients in Thailand and 25 HIV-1 presumably subtype B-infected lymph nodes from patients in the United States were immunostained with p24 HIV major core and capsid monoclonal antibodies using the streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique. Positivity for HIV p24 protein was detected in 20 of 22 HIV-1 subtype B infected nodes in which lymphoid follicles were present, with p24 staining demonstrating a reticular pattern within the germinal centers. Interestingly, no case from 50 clade E-infected lymph nodes containing lymphoid follicles had such a reticular pattern in the germinal centers. This difference could be explained by differential infection of subsets of dendritic cells by the two HIV-1 clades, or perhaps by different routes of initial HIV-1 transmission.
