Effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 on intracellular activation and superoxide production by neutrophils

The immunopathogenesis of AIDS is associated with the development of opport unistic infections by intracellular pathogens that can invade and reproduce freely because of impaired cellular functions. Neutrophils from asymptomat ic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected persons and from symp tomatic patients with AIDS were found to retain normal phagocytosis activit y while producing significantly less superoxide than neutrophils from HIV-1 -negative subjects, when stimulated through Fc receptors or protein kinase C. After priming with a synthetic HIV-1 envelope peptide and stimulation vi a the Fc receptor, the neutrophils from HIV-1-negative controls had suppres sed superoxide production, reduced phosphorylation of two unidentified cell ular proteins, and increased expression of a third phosphoprotein. These re sults suggest that HIV-1 can produce direct functional damage of neutrophil s through binding of envelope components to the cell membrane.