Sr. Lewin et al., HIV-1 DNA AND MESSENGER-RNA CONCENTRATIONS ARE SIMILAR IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONOCYTES AND ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES IN HIV-1-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS, AIDS, 12(7), 1998, pp. 719-727
Objective: To determine the relative contribution of alveolar macropha
ges, peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) and peripheral blood lymphocytes
(PBL) from HIV-infected individuals to HIV-1 viral load. Methods: Alv
eolar macrophages were obtained by flexible bronchoscopy, and PBM and
PBL by venipuncture from HIV-1-infected individuals. Alveolar macropha
ges and PBM were purified using immunomagnetic bead selection to deple
te CD3+ and CD19+ cells from bronchoalveolar lavage and peripheral blo
od mononuclear cells, respectively. DNA and mRNA were extracted and ga
g copy number quantified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rev
erse transcriptase PCR. The titres of infectious cell-associated HIV-1
in cells were determined by the endpoint dilution coculture technique
for alveolar macrophages and PBM. Results: Alveolar macrophages and P
BM from HIV-1-infected subjects (n = 11) contained equivalent concentr
ations of HIV-1 DNA and HIV-1 mRNA as determined by PCR and reverse tr
anscriptase PCR, respectively. Antiretroviral therapy was associated w
ith reduced viral DNA concentrations in alveolar macrophages but not i
n PBM. PBL had a significantly higher level of proviral DNA and mRNA t
han alveolar macrophages or PBM. Conclusions: Although alveolar macrop
hages infected in vitro are more permissive for HIV-1 replication than
PBM, this difference could not be demonstrated in vivo. (C) 1998 Lipp
incott-Raven Publishers.