Antibodies and complement enhance binding and uptake of HIV-1 by human monocytes. |
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Authors: | L J Bakker H S Nottet N M de Vos L de Graaf J A Van Strijp M R Visser J Verhoef |
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Affiliation: | Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. |
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Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: To characterize antibody- and complement-mediated binding and uptake of HIV-1 by human monocytes. DESIGN: The first step in the infection of the monocyte by HIV-1 is binding of the virus to the susceptible cell. Procedures were designed to assess the influence of anti-HIV-1 antibodies and complement on this binding, and to study the process of internalization following binding. METHODS: Human monocytes were incubated with fluorescein-labelled purified HTLV-IIIB virions and human sera with high-titre anti-HIV-1 antibodies and/or complement. Binding and uptake of virus by the monocytes was measured as fluorescence per cell by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Binding of purified HIV-1 to monocytes was increased by complement and, to a lesser extent, by anti-HIV-1 antibodies. Uptake of HIV-1 bound to the monocyte appeared to be mediated by antibodies and was increased further by the presence of complement. Complement alone, however, resulted in the uptake of only a small part of the bound virus. CONCLUSIONS: Complement significantly increases the binding of HIV-1 to human monocytes, and a combination of antibodies and complement efficiently mediates uptake of HIV-1 by monocytes. |
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