HIV infects glomerular endothelial and mesangial but not epithelial cells in vitro.

The infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in human glomerular cells was evaluated by exposing homogeneous cultures of human glomerular capillary endothelial, mesangial and epithelial cells to HIV in vitro. Infectivity and HIV expression was assessed by: 1) the measurement of p24 antigen production from culture supernatants; 2) the presence of p24 antigen intracellularly by immunofluorescence; 3) levels of P24 antigen production or syncytia formation following the cocultivation of glomerular cells exposed to HIV with normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or MT-2 lymphocytes; and 4) the presence of intracellular HIV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. The results indicate that HIV can infect and replicate in glomerular capillary endothelial cells and in a small percentage of mesangial cells, but not in human glomerular epithelial cells in vitro.