In vitro productive infection of non polarised cervical and rectal biopsies by syncytium-inducing and non syncytium inducing primary HIV-1 isolates.

An in vitro model was used to study the transmission of HIV-1 primary isolates with different biological phenotype to cervical and rectal non polarised bioptic fragments. The method described allowed the productive infection of both cervical and rectal tissues and the virus produced could be propagated onto peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. Syncytium-inducing and non-syncytium inducing viral isolates were equally able to produce infection and replication.