Complement-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 infection of the monoblastoid cell line U937.

To assess the role of complement and complement receptors in HIV-1 infection of monocytes and macrophages, we studied the infectivity of HIV-1, isolated from the peripheral blood of a patient with subacute AIDS-related encephalopathy, on the human monoblastoid cell line U937. HIV-1 and HIV-1-infected cells were capable of activating the complement system via the classical and the alternative pathways, respectively. Low concentrations of HIV-1 were able to infect U937 cells more easily in the presence than in the absence of complement. At higher virus concentrations, infectivity was no longer facilitated by the presence of complement. Infection of U937 cells was reduced in the presence of any of the monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), OKT4a (anti-CD4), OKM1 (anti-CR3), or M522 (anti-CR3). A combination of all three of these MAbs reduced the infection by an even greater amount. These data indicate that complement receptors may be a port of entry for complement-coated HIV-1.