Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 can infect human retinal pigment epithelial cells in culture and alter the ability of the cells to phagocytose rod outer segment membranes

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been found in the vitreous of persons with AIDS, Here we investigated the susceptibility of human reti nal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to HIV-1 infection in culture and the ef fects of HIV-1 on the phagocytic function of the RPE. We found that 10 of 1 1 populations of RPE cells isolated from different fetal or adult eyes were susceptible to low-level replication of HIV-1/NL4-3 as determined by the d etection of viral DNA and spliced viral RNA encoding envelope. HIV-1 infect ion was not inhibited by recombinant soluble CD4, suggesting that CD4 is no t required for virus entry into RPE cells. RPE cells fused with target cell s constitutively expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, indicating that H IV-1 enters cells by receptor-mediated fusion. Exposure to HIV-l or recombi nant gp120 caused a two- to fourfold increase in the binding and uptake of isolated rod outer segments by RPE cells. These findings introduce a new ce ll target of HIV-1 replication in the eye and indicate that RPE cells funct ion aberrantly when exposed to HIV-1 or its envelope glycoprotein.