Cell-cell interactions regulate dendritic cell-dependent HIV-1 production in CD4+ T lymphocytes.

We investigated the role of blood dendritic cells (DC) in transmission of HIV-1 from infected to uninfected CD4+ T cells, and the accessory molecules involved. DC promoted transmission from infected to uninfected CD4+ cells, but blood DC themselves were not infectable. DC-mediated transmission was blocked by mAb to CD4 and MHC class II, but strongly increased by mAb to CD40 on DC or CD28 on T cells. The DC-dependent infection was inhibitable by anti-CD80 and a soluble fusion protein of the CD80 ligand, CTLA4; soluble CTLA4Ig also blocked infection augmented by crosslinking CD40. We also demonstrated that mAb to CD40 up-regulate the expression of CTLA4 ligands CD80 and B70/B7-2 (CD86) on DC. These data suggest that the dialog between CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD28-CD80 counter-receptors on DC and T cells may be linked to HIV infection in vivo.