NEONATAL HIV-1 THYMIC INFECTION

The thymus is the primary site of T cell ontogeny and selection during fetal and neonatal development. Previous studies have established tha t the thymus is also a site of HIV-1 Infection, as early as the first trimester of pregnancy. Alteration of the thymocyte maturation process by HIV-1 could impact on the peripheral T cell population and interfe re with immune responses. A neonatal thymic organ culture system was e stablished to study HIV-1 Infection within the thymus. We have shown t hat this primary tissue isolate can support a productive HIV-1 infecti on. Infection occurred without detectable thymocyte cytopathology. The ability to infect the developing thymocyte within an intact micro env ironment will enable us to further establish the kinetics of acute HIV -1 thymic infection and its consequences on lymphocyte maturation.