Dendritic Cells Transduced With HIV Nef Express Normal Levels of HLA-A and HLA-B Class I Molecules

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Abstract
Summary:HIV Nef protein is important for viral pathogenesis and disease progression. Nef downregulates CD4 and major histocompatibility antigens on the surface of HIV-infected T cells. HIV also infects dendritic cells. We wanted to determine if Nef had a similar function in professional antigen-presenting cells, where downregulation of Class I could have important effects on the initiation of HIV specific cytolytic T cell responses. We infected human dendritic cells with adenovirus expressing Nef. In contrast to T cells and Hela cells, HLA-A and HLA-B molecules are not downregulated nor are other class I molecules increased. We show that, in dendritic cells, HIV Nef has little effect on CD4 or Class I expression. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jeffrey A. Frelinger, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, CB# 7290 MEJB, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290, U.S.A.; e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received April 9, 2001; accepted June 8, 2001. © 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.