Impact of HIV-positive sera on the functional activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils from healthy donors.

The impact of the sera from 64 HIV-1-infected patients on the functional activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) from 9 healthy donors was investigated. Augmentation of PMN oxygen radical production in the presence of sera from HIV-infected patients (PMN chemiluminescence) was demonstrated. This enhancement was connected with intracellular generation of chemiluminescence (CL). A significant correlation between this enhancement and stages of HIV infection was not found. The presence of the sera from HIV-infected patients in the incubation media led to a decrease of PMN phagocytosis. It was found that contrary impact of the sera on PMN CL and phagocytosis was connected with different factors. The decrease of PMN phagocytosis correlated with the level of complement and was independent of other factors. At the same time the increase of PMN CL was not connected with the level of complement activity but correlated with the level of anti-HIV antibody and circulating immune complexes. The reasons for this phenomenon are unclear. It was suggested that one of the serum factors which caused increase of PMN CL is HIV or HIV compounds.