The JI PBL Intereron Source
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     
 

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kalter, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Meltzer, M. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kalter, D. C.
Right arrow Articles by Meltzer, M. S.

The Journal of Immunology, Vol 146, Issue 10 3396-3404, Copyright © 1991 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Epidermal Langerhans cells are not principal reservoirs of virus in HIV disease

DC Kalter, JJ Greenhouse, JM Orenstein, SM Schnittman, HE Gendelman and MS Meltzer
Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Rockville, MD 20850.

Several reports implicate Langerhans cells of skin as susceptible targets, reservoirs, and vectors for transmission of HIV: 1) numbers of Langerhans cells in skin of HIV-infected patients were decreased about 50% of that in control skin; 2) as many as 30% of Langerhans cells in the skin of HIV-infected patients were morphologically abnormal; 3) viral particles typical for HIV were identified in or around 2 to 5% of these cells; and 4) infectious HIV was isolated from skin biopsies of infected patients. These results were consistent with similar observations of HIV-infected macrophages in such tissues as brain, lung, and lymph node. Despite these findings, other investigators find no evidence for virus infection in the epidermis of HIV-infected patients by any of several immunohistochemical or ultrastructural criteria. To address this controversy, we obtained skin from 28 HIV- seropositive subjects at various clinical stages by full thickness biopsy or suction blister. Samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy for presence of HIV virions, by immunofluorescent staining for viral proteins, by in situ hybridization for HIV-specific mRNA, by polymerase chain reaction amplification of virus-specific DNA, and by direct virus isolation by coculture of epidermis onto monocyte target cells. By any of these techniques, demonstration of HIV in the epidermis of infected patients was equivocal and even then, infrequent. In contrast, viral DNA was detected from the dermis of the same skin samples (26 of 28 samples). Moreover, the number and morphology of Langerhans cells in skin of infected patients were within normal limits, regardless of stage of disease. These studies in toto suggest that a role for Langerhans cells as a principal viral reservoir or vector of transmission is highly unlikely.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 BloodHome page
M. I. Zimmer, A. T. Larregina, C. M. Castillo, S. Capuano III, L. D. Falo Jr, M. Murphey-Corb, T. A. Reinhart, and S. M. Barratt-Boyes
Disrupted homeostasis of Langerhans cells and interdigitating dendritic cells in monkeys with AIDS
Blood, April 15, 2002; 99(8): 2859 - 2868.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Website Copyright © 1991 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.
All Contents Copyright © 1991 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.