In vitro HIV infection increases mucosal-associated adhesion molecules on CD4+ T CELLS
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that HIV-infected T cells home to lymph nodes and other lymphoid sites. However, the potential for HIV-infected T cells to home to mucosal sites has not been fully explored. In this study, an in vitro system has been used to determine if HIV infection of normal PBMC's could increase expression of mucosal homing receptors on peripheral T cells. The lab strain HIV-1 IIIB as well as a primary isolate, were used to infect PBMC's from a normal donor. Three-color flow cytometry was used to determine the surface expression of the mucosal-associated adhesion molecules α4β7 and αEβ7, as well as the lymph node homing receptor L-selectin. Cells were harvested at days 7, 14, and 21 after infection. Supernatants were also taken to confirm that the cells were infected with HIV by a reverse transcriptase assay. The most significant change in the homing receptor expression was observed on day 14. The CD4+ T cells from the HIV-infected culture showed increased expression of both α4β7 and αEβ7 with no change in the L-selectin expression. The CD8+ cells showed no change or small decreases in all homing receptors in the HIV-infected culture as compared to the non-infected culture. This data suggest that in early stages of in vitro infection, HIV increases the expression of mucosal homing receptors on CD4+ T cells, potentially allowing these cells to home to mucosal sites.