FOLLICULAR DENDRITIC CELLS AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTIVITY

LARGE amounts of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) localize on follic ular dendritic cells (FDC) in the follicles of secondary lymploid tiss ues following viral infection(1,2). During clinical latency, active vi ral infection occurs primarily at these sites(3,4). As HIV on FDC is i n the form of immune complexes(5), some of which may be formed with ne utralizing antibody, we investigated whether HIV on FDC is infectious. We report here that HIV on FDC is highly infectious. Furthermore, FDC can convert neutralized HIV into an infectious form even in the prese nce of a vast excess of neutralizing antibody. Thus FDC may provide a mechanism whereby HIV infection can continue in the presence of neutra lizing antibody.