Hiv infection of monocytic cells: rôle of antibody-mediated virus binding to Fc-gamma receptors

We investigated whether human immunoglobulin G (IgG) directed to gp 110 may serve as an attachment system to Fc-gamma receptors (Fc-γR), allowing eventual infection of cells of the macrophage lineage. An anti-HIV IgG preparation that prevented viral particles and soluble recombinant radiolabelled envelope precursor gp160 from binding to CD4 on CEM lymphoid cells, and that strongly inhibited infection of these cells by HIV, was selected. In contrast, anti-HIV IgG, whether or not previously complexed to viral particles, bound to monocytic U937 cells that express both high Fc-γRI and low affinity Fc-γRII receptors. Precoating these cells with anti-HIV IgG or complexing the antibodies with soluble 125-gp160 resulted in increased fixation of gp160 to the cells, which was inhibited by aggregated human normal IgG. These data indicate that anti-HIV IgG-dependent attachment of gp160 to monocytic cells occurs through both types of Fc-γR. In addition, this method of attachment resulted in productive infection of U937 cells that, since it was blocked in the presence of Leu3a, still appeared to involve gp110-CD4 interaction. Only slight enhancement of infectivity, such as described for other enveloped viruses, was noted, even when antibody concentration was titrated down. This mechanism may be one of the explanations why the humoral response to HIV is not usually protective.