IMMUNE-COMPLEXES FROM HIV-1+ PATIENTS CONTAIN INFECTIOUS VIRUS ABLE TO INFECT NORMAL LYMPHOCYTES

It has been suggested that circulating immune complexes containing HIV -1 could be involved in enhancement of the infection through Fc recept ors. To test this hypothesis, immune complexes precipitated from the s era of 25 HIV-1-seropositive individuals, at different stages of the d isease, were assayed for the presence of infectious virus. When added to phytohemagglutinin-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes, seven of 25 complexes were able to sustain a productive infection. This was de monstrated by release of HIV-p24 antigens in the supernatant of activa ted brit not resting peripheral blood lymphocytes after several days o f culture. Moreover, peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured with comple xes from HIV-1+ patients but not from control subject, contained integ rated HIV-1 provirus in their DNA. These results demonstrated the pres ence of infectious virus in immune complexes from HIV-1+ patients.