A. Cimarelli et al., QUANTITATION BY COMPETITIVE PCR OF HIV-1 PROVIRAL DNA IN EPIDERMAL LANGERHANS CELLS OF HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS, Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes, 7(3), 1994, pp. 230-235
Langerhans cells (LC) belong to the dendritic cell family and represen
t the principal antigen presenting cells populating squamous epithelia
. We have reported the presence of human immunodeficiency virus Type 1
(HIV-1) proviral DNA and RNA in purified LC from the epidermis of ser
opositive patients. The aim of this study was to quantify HIV-1 provir
al DNA in LC of infected patients using a competitive polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) assay. Bulk epidermal cell (EC) suspensions were obtai
ned from the skin of nine AIDS patients and six seronegative subjects.
Purified LC and LC-depleted EC were prepared by immunomagnetic separa
tion using an anti-CD1a monoclonal antibody. LC preparations did not c
ontain T cells, as assessed by reverse transcription PCR analysis of t
he T cell receptor beta-chain gene (C region). In addition, no CD14(+)
cells could be detected in LC fractions by immunostaining of cytospin
preparations. To quantify HIV-1 DNA, a new competitive PCR system was
devised using SK145/150 as primers (gag) and a competitor plasmid DNA
with a modified sequence (209 instead of 142 bp). The number of HIV-1
DNA copies found in the LC of AIDS patients ranged from 107 to 3,645/
10(5) LC. In contrast, LC-depleted EC from the same subjects were all
negative. The results indicate that in AIDS patients the frequency of
infected LC is comparable to that reported for peripheral blood CD4(+)
T cells.