Quantitative study of beta(1)-integrin expression and fibronectin interaction profile of T lymphocytes in vitro infected with HIV

Cell-extracellular matrix interactions, regulated in part by beta(1)-integr ins, play a key role in the recirculation of T lymphocytes and tissue infil tration in inflammatory and immune responses. HIV infection may affect CD4( +) T cell adhesion, and the trafficking and migration of these cells, which are crucial for foreign antigen recognition. We investigated this by study ing the expression of the beta(1)-integrin chains CD29 and CD49c, -d, -e, a nd -f, on in vitro HIV-infected primary T cells, We also assessed fibronect in binding and production by CD4(+) lymphocytes. X4 (HIV-1/LAI), R5 (HIV-1/ Ba-L), and X4R5 (HIV-2/ROD) strains, and X4R5 primary isolates (HIV-1/DAS, HIV-1/THI), with different cytopathogenicity and replication kinetics, were used, beta(1)-integrin expression on CD4(+) and CD4(-) T cell subpopulatio ns was regulated by cell activation with phytohemagglutinin-beta and interl eukin 2, but was unaffected by HN infection, even at the peak of viral repl ication and CD4(+) cell depletion. Similarly, fibronectin binding to CD4(+) lymphocytes was not affected by HIV infection. This suggests that infected lymphocytes may be able to extravasate, migrate, and recirculate within th e body until their death.