Functional consequences of monocyte/macrophage infection by HIV1.

Monocyte/macrophage infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV1) was studied for its effects on the production of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and the expression of the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene. For this purpose, human peripheral blood monocytes were obtained from healthy HIV1-seronegative donors by centrifugal elutriation and infected with either the HIV1/LAV1 strain or with the primary HIV1/DAS isolate. The results showed that (1) HIV1/LAV1-infected macrophages did not produce any biologically detectable TNF alpha during the few hours following lentiviral infection, despite rises in the TNF alpha mRNA level; (2) MnSOD gene transcription in the macrophages increased, as measured 2 and 4 h after infection; (3) the level of the MnSOD gene expression declined during the late phases of lentiviral infection, but TNF alpha synthesis and gene expression rose; and (4) bispecific antibody comprised of anti-Fc gamma RI (anti-CD64) and anti-gp41 monoclonal antibodies inhibited the in vitro infection of monocyte-derived macrophages by HIV1/DAS.