PERIPHERAL-BLOOD NEUTROPHILS FROM HIV-1-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS ARE ARMED WITH FACTORS THAT CAUSE INHIBITION OF THEIR MIGRATION IN RESPONSE TOSPECIFIC ANTIGENS

In this study, synthetic peptides that copy conserved regions of the H IV-1 envelope proteins gp120 and gp41 were tested for their impact on the chemotaxis of leukocytes and neutrophils from. HIV-1-infected indi viduals, while neutrophils from HIV-1-infected patients were tested fo r their effect on the chemotaxis of neutrophils from healthy donors. T he synthetic peptides (corresponding to the 251-272-amino acid sequenc e of gp120 and the 584-618-amino acid sequence of gp41) were capable o f specifically inhibiting the formyl peptide-induced chemotaxis of cel ls from HIV-1-infected patients, and such inhibition was observed both with a total leukocyte population and with pure neutrophils. The migr ation of neutrophils from healthy donors was specifically inhibited in the presence of either of the synthetic peptides of HIV-1 envelope pr oteins after their incubation with neutrophil supernatants obtained fr om HIV-1-infected individuals. As shown by ELISA tests, the neutrophil supernatants from HIV-1-infected individuals contain antibodies to a recombinant env-1 protein that might be one of the reasons for the spe cific arming of neutrophils from HIV-1-infected persons.