Effect of anti‐V3 antibodies on cell‐free and cell‐to‐cell human immunodeficiency virus transmission

摘要

AbstractThe present study was undertaken to compare the effects of a type‐specific (HIV‐1 MN) anti‐V3 antibody onin vitrohuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in systems of cell‐freeversuscell‐to‐cell transmission of virus. Anti‐V3 antibody completely prevented HIV‐1 infection when cell‐free virus was the sole mechanism of infection. A significant reduction of the neutralizing activity of the anti‐V3 antibody was observed when infectivity was dependent on both cell‐free and cell‐to‐cell mechanisms of infection. Furthermore, when cell‐to‐cell transfer of virions was the primary mechanism of HIV‐1 infection, inhibition of HIV‐1 infection was not observed. Therefore, a potent neutralizing antibody with a single epitope specificity failed to effectively control dissemination of a persistent HIV‐1 infection in a system characterized predominantl