LOSS OF RED-BLOOD-CELL VIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH LIMITED THERMAL INACTIVATION OF EXTRACELLULAR HIV-1

The effects of incubation at mildly elevated temperatures on HIV-1 ina ctivation and in vitro red blood cell properties were investigated. Re d cells (55% Hct) were leukodepleted (3 log(10)) by filtration, mainta ined at 45 or 47 degrees C for 4 or 8 h, and then stored at 4 degrees C. Hemolysis was twice that of controls after 42-day storage for sampl es treated for 4 h at 45 degrees C, and five times larger for samples heated at 47 degrees C. There was also a significant increase in the r ate of potassium loss, an early decrease in ATP levels, and an initial drop in pH for samples treated at either temperature. Larger differen ces were observed for samples exposed to these elevated temperatures f or 8 h. Osmotic deformability curves obtained by ektacytometry showed dramatic decreases in red cell deformability at both temperatures and for both time periods. HIV-1 inactivation in red cells treated at 45 d egrees C (approximately 0.25 log(10)/h) was considerably less than tha t obtained in tissue culture medium (1-2 log(10)/h). Since the decreas e in red cell deformability is likely to indicate reduced red cell fun ction and survival, and the rate of HIV-1 inactivation is low, mild he at treatment is not an adequate process for viral inactivation of red cell products.