A simple and rapid method for preparation of HIV-expressing targets for functional assays.

Standardized samples of target cells expressing viral antigen are necessary to perform reproducible and comparable functional assays for immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). HIV-infected cultured cell lines show wide variability in the number of HIV-expressing cells and in the amount of viral antigen per cell. They, as well as cells coated with the infectious virus, are a biohazard. 0.015% v/v beta-propiolactone (BPL) in buffered solution at pH 7.5 inactivates the infectivity of HIV but retains its antigenicity. BPL-inactivated HIV easily binds to T4 receptor bearing T-lymphocytes in a 30 min incubation at 22 degrees C. The process of adsorption is dose-dependent and results in a standardized and reproducible sample of target cells. Applications for the method are demonstrated and include: (1) preparation of target cells for assay of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and (2) characterization of antisera to HIV for their capacity to block HIV binding to cells.