An ultrastructural study of HIV-infected human dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

An ultrastructural study of HIV-infected human dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages.

APMIS. 1993 Sep;101(9):672-80. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94059526
Blom J; Nielsen C; Rhodes JM; Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Statens Seruminstitut,; Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract: The ultrastructure of dendritic cells (DC) isolated from HIV-negative blood donors revealed three morphologically distinct cell types: type I had an irregularly shaped nucleus with a high content of heterochromatin and numerous short pseudopodia; type II possessed a smoother boundary, a blast-like nucleus and a few veil-like protrusions; and type III resembled veil-like cells (DC) in the lymph. HIV induced a productive virus infection in type II DC with budding of virus solely from the cell surface. HIV was observed in cytoplasmic vacuoles of type III DC, but no budding of virus was observed from these cells. HIV was not observed in type I DC. Isolated monocytes were cultured for 8-15 days in order for these cells to differentiate into macrophages. Cultured monocytes and macrophages became highly vacuolized when infected with HIV strains and productive virus infection was localized in intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Budding from the cell surface was rarely observed. When monocytes were co-cultured with CD4(+)-infected lymphocytes, specialized electron-dense contact zones were observed in monocyte-like cells. Virus particles were found outside some of these contact zones, indicating that the zones may play a role in the penetration and transfer of virus from cell to cell.

Keywords: beta-Galactosidase/BLOOD Antigens, CD/ANALYSIS Antigens, CD4/ANALYSIS Blood Donors Cells, Cultured Dendritic Cells/*ULTRASTRUCTURE Heterochromatin/ULTRASTRUCTURE Human HIV Seronegativity HIV-1/*PHYSIOLOGY Immunohistochemistry Lymphocyte Subsets/PHYSIOLOGY Macrophages/*ULTRASTRUCTURE Microscopy, Electron Monocytes/*ULTRASTRUCTURE Peroxidases/BLOOD Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Vacuoles/ULTRASTRUCTURE JOURNAL ARTICLE
940330
M9430977

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