The direct binding of an HIV fragment with granulocytes from healthy subjects and infected patients.

Abstract

The binding of the synthetic fragment from the CD4 binding site of HIV (gp 120) with polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in 13 healthy donors and 31 HIV-infected patients was studied using a biotin-streptavidin-texas-red complex. The largest percentage of PMN-bound peptide was reached at a final peptide concentration of 10 micrograms/ml. The increase of peptide concentration did not raise the per cent of positive PMN. Preliminary incubation of PMN or mononuclear cells with non-biotinylated peptide abolished subsequent binding of these cells with biotinylated peptide, while preliminary treatment of the cells by anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody did not lead to such abrogation. It was revealed that about 14% of PMN but no lymphocytes from healthy donors were able to bind peptide. The number of such PMN in HIV-infected patients was significantly less (6.3 +/- 8.9%, P less than 0.05). A connection between peptide-bound PMN and their functional activity was found. The percentage of such cells was 13.0 +/- 11.5% in patients with normal values in a stimulated nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test and only 2.6 +/- 2.8% in patients with low values in this test (P less than 0.05).