PRIMARY INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS CAN BE INFECTED WITH LABORATORY-ADAPTED STRAIN HIV TYPE-1 NDK BUT NOT WITH CLINICAL PRIMARY ISOLATES

Infectivities of HIV-1 primary isolates and laboratory-adapted strains were compared in primary fetal enterocytes and the colonic epithelial cell line HT29. Infection by two laboratory strains, HIV-1 NDK and HI V-1 NDKA4, which were adapted on CEM and HT29 cells, respectively, pro duced significant amounts of virus in both target cell systems. Intest inal cells were resistant to infection with HIV-1 primary isolates reg ardless of their genetic subtype or SI/NSI phenotype, Biological prope rties of analyzed viruses rather than differences in cultivation syste m seem to be responsible for differences between these in vitro and ex vivo results.