1. Replication and intercellular transmission of HIV-1 is increased during antigen presentation.
Replication and intercellular transmission of HIV-1 is increased during antigen presentation. Macrophages serve as long-lived reservoirs of HIV-1 infection. During antigen presentation (both HIV-1 antigens and other antigens), activation of macrophages and CD4+ T lymphocytes leads to potent upregulation of proinflammatory cytokine secretion and HIV-1 transcription. This provides the ideal microenvironment for transmission of HIV-1 to CD4+ cells and for rapid HIV-1 replication in an expanding pool of activated memory (CD45RO+) cells. Selective infection of antigen-specific memory CD4+ cells may also lead to selective loss of this clone of cells.
Stephen D. Lawn et al. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 2001; doi: /CMR