Apoptosis induced by HIV infection in H9 T cells is blocked by ICE-family protease inhibition but not by a Fas(CD95) antagonist.

Infection of human CD4-positive T lymphocytes by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is thought to lead to death of infected cells by apoptosis, although one recent report questions this conclusion. Here we demonstrate that HIV-1-induced apoptosis of the H9 human T cell line is blocked by peptide inhibitors of IL-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE)-family proteases, but not by the antagonistic M3 anti-Fas Ab. Apoptosis occurred in all phases of the cell cycle, not selectively in G2 as a consequence of vpr-mediated cell cycle arrest. We conclude that apoptosis accounts for all cell death related to HIV-1 infection of the human CD4-positive cell line H9, requires an ICE-like protease but is not Fas mediated, and occurs in all phases of the cell cycle.