AEGiS-11IAC: Human hematopoietic progenitor cells become susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection after exposure to human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6).

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Human hematopoietic progenitor cells become susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection after exposure to human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6).

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:217 (abstract no. Tu.A.140)
Furlini G, RE MC, Vignoli M, Ramazzotti E, La Placa M; Microbiologia St. Orsola Gen. Hospital, Bologna, Italy. Fax: +39-51-341632. E-mail: got1688@iperbole.bologna.it.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of concurrent HHV-6 infection on cell surface markers and susceptibility to HIV-1 infection of two different hematopoietic progenitor cell lines: TF-1 and KG-1A, and normal bone marrow human hematopoietic (CD34+) progenitor cells.

METHODS: TF-1 (100% CD34-positive, erythromyeloid progenitors which express CD4 molecules at a very low level) and KG-1A (100% CD34-positive, 100% CD4-negative, lymphomyeloid progenitors) as well as samples of normal bone marrow human hematopoietic (CD34+) progenitor cells purified using anti-CD34 MoAb-coated magnetic beads, were cocultivated with HHV-6-infected JJahn cells in Transwell-Col plastic plates, separated by a porous membrane. Two days before and after HHV-6 contact, cells were challenged with HIV-1 (strains IIIB and Bal). Culture supernatants and cells samples were collected every other day for two weeks and tested for the presence of HIV-1 protein (p24 antigen detection assay) and integrated HIV-1 DNA or unintegrated or cell-free HIV-1 RNA by PCR and RT-PCR respectively. A number of surface markers (integrins and virus related molecules) were analyzed by cytofluorimetric analysis before and after contact with either HIV-1 and HHV-6.

RESULTS: Both cell lines and purified CD34+ bone marrow cells were not susceptible to HIV-1 infection. In the presence of a concurrent HHV-6 infection, both cell lines became susceptible to HIV-1 infection and permissive to HIV-1 replication, although with a limited virus yield. TF-1 cells did not show any consistent modification in the cell surface markers tested, while at least 50% of KG-1 cells became CD4-positive (antigen and mRNA). Normal bone marrow CD34+ cells were not always susceptible to HHV-6 infection. In fact only two out of seven samples were found HHV-6 positive and only those showed signs of HIV-1 replication.

CONCLUSIONS: These results, which suggest a further possible mechanism leading to peripheral blood cytopenias in HIV-1-infected subjects, may help to clarify the controversial issue on the susceptibility of human hematopoietic progenitor cells to HIV-1 infection.

Keywords: AEGIS, Herpesvirus 6, Human, HIV-1, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Antigens, CD34, Virus Replication, Antigens, CD4, Bone Marrow Cells, HIV Infections, Hematopoiesis, Bone Marrow, Cell Line, Antigens, CD, Immunomagnetic Separation, Disease Susceptibility, Polymerase Chain Reaction, CD9 antigen, Human, virology, ICA11

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TuA140