Human immunodeficiency virus infection of monoblastoid cells: cellular differentiation determines the pattern of virus replication.

Stringent control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication was observed in the human monoblastoid cell line U937. A low-multiplicity infection of these cells by the LAV1 strain of HIV was productive for 2.5 days; then virus replication became restricted and no further evidence of virion production was observed. The dramatic decrease in HIV production was due in part of reduced accumulation of cytoplasmic viral RNA and occurred in the absence of evident cytopathic effects. In contrast, infected cells induced to differentiate by phorbol ester, vitamin D3, or lymphokine supernatant did not release markers of HIV despite the accumulation of significant levels of cytoplasmic viral RNA. HIV infection altered the pattern of c-myc RNA accumulation in U937 cells. Expression of this gene changes normally in response to the state of cellular differentiation; in infected cells the level of c-myc expression was correlated to the levels of viral RNA accumulation and not to cellular differentiation. These results suggest that restricted replication of HIV in monocytes might be an important mechanism of virus persistence and demonstrate a relationship between HIV replication and monocyte differentiation.