Complement-mediated, antibody-dependent enhancement of HIV-1 infection in vitro is characterized by increased protein and RNA syntheses and infectious virus release.

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in vitro has been described recently and was shown to occur by two mechanisms: either participation of the alternative pathway of complement or to involve an Fc receptor-mediated, complement-independent mechanism. Complement-mediated ADE results in an accelerated cytopathic effect in target cells that can abrogate the protective properties of neutralizing antibodies. This study characterizes the surface antigens of MT-2 cells using flow cytometric analysis and shows that these cells express high levels of both CD4 and complement receptor type 2 (CR2) while several CD4+ cell lines that do not demonstrate complement-mediated ADE lack high levels of complement receptors. Further, utilizing MT-2 cell cultures, it is demonstrated that complement-mediated ADE of HIV-1 infection is conferred by the sera from more than 80% of HIV-1 antibody-positive individuals (N = 85). Complement-mediated ADE of HIV-1 infection causes an acceleration of several parameters indicative of HIV-1 infection in vitro including increased HIV-1 antigen synthesis as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, RNA accumulation as measured by a solution hybridization protocol, reverse transcriptase release, and progeny virus production.