Replication of patient isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in T cells: a spectrum of rates and efficiencies of entry.

Isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) undergo many different rates of replication, with the time course of replication being determined by the host cell and the virus. Recently, we demonstrated that the permissiveness of four CD4+ T-cell lines for the laboratory strain NL4-3 correlated with the rate and efficiency of virus entry. In this study, we have analyzed the replication of a "slow/low" isolate from the pre-AIDS period of infection and two "rapid/high" isolates from the AIDS period of infection to determine which steps in the virus life cycle determine differences in the growth characteristics of patient isolates. Differences in the growth of the patient isolates correlated with differences in entry but not postentry steps of the virus life cycle. The two rapid/high patient isolates (SF33 and SF216) underwent 50% entry in less than or equal to 0.5 hr in C8166 cells, in less than or equal to 1 hr in mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and in greater than or equal to 2.5 hr in H9 cells. In contrast, a class 3 slow/low patient isolate required 1 hr for 50% entry into C8166 cells, 3 hr for 50% entry into peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and 5-6 hr for 50% entry into H9 cells. Entry efficiency correlated with entry rate, with the rapid/high viruses having a 2-fold higher titer and the slow/low virus having a 5-fold higher titer on C8166 than H9 cells. The laboratory strain NL4-3 displayed intermediate rates and efficiencies of entry. These data demonstrate that entry characteristics are major determinants of the pathogenic potential of patient isolates.