CD71⁺ Erythroid Cells Exacerbate HIV-1 Susceptibility, Mediate trans-Infection, and Harbor Infective Viral Particles.

ABSTRACT: CD71⁺ erythroid cells (CECs) have a wide range of immunomodulatory properties. Here, we show that CECs are expanded in the peripheral blood of HIV patients, with a positive correlation between their frequency and the plasma viral load. CECs from HIV patients and human cord blood/placenta exacerbate HIV-1 infection/replication when cocultured with CD4⁺ T cells, and that preexposure of CD4⁺ T cells to CECs enhances their permissibility to HIV infection. However, mature red blood cells (RBCs) do not enhance HIV replication when cocultured with CD4⁺ T cells. We also found CECs express substantial levels of the NOX2 gene and via a mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent mechanism possibly upregulate NF-κB in CD4⁺ T cells once

SUBMITTER: Namdar A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6879723 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature