The enhancing role of complement in human immunodeficiency virus infection: soluble recombinant CR1 (CD35) inhibits complement-mediated enhancement of infection of a CD4-positive T-cell line with human immunodeficiency virus-1.

The present study investigated the effect of soluble recombinant CR1 (srCR1, sCD35) on complement-dependent enhancement of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in vitro. Cells of the human T-cell line HPB-ALL were infected with HIV-1 that had been preopsonized with normal human HIV-seronegative serum in the presence of srCR1. At nanomolar concentrations, srCR1 suppressed complement-dependent enhancement of infection of HPB-ALL cells in a dose-dependent manner. Under these conditions, infection was decreased to levels similar to those observed in cells infected with unopsonized virus. These observations provide further evidence to support the role of complement-dependent opsonization facilitating viral entry into target cells.