MYCOPLASMAS STIMULATE REPLICATION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 THROUGH SELECTIVE ACTIVATION OF CD4-LYMPHOCYTES( T)

Because mycoplasma infection has often been observed in individuals in fected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we investigat ed the influence of mycoplasmas on HIV replication in vitro. Replicati on of HIV-1 assessed by reverse transcriptase activity and the p24 ant igen level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was enhanced by the stimulation with the cell lysates of human mycoplasmas such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. genitalium, and M. fermentans. The most dras tic increase of HIV-1 replication was shown in M. pneumoniae, which in duced an approximately 10-fold higher replication level than phytohema gglutinin. Stimulation with the mycoplasmas accompanied the induction of blastotransformation of CD4+ but not CD8+ T lymphocytes in PBMCs an d the most predominant alterations were induced by the stimulation wit h M. pneumoniae among the species examined. Production of IL-2 was sig nificantly increased by stimulation with all three species of Mycoplas ma used. These results suggest that mycoplasmas induce vigorous replic ation of HIV-1 through the activation of CD4-positive T lymphocytes.