Abstract
The effect of recombinant HIV-1 Tat protein on different functions of peripheral blood monocytes, such as candidacidal activity and phagolysosomal fusion, was evaluated. HIV-1 Tat protein caused a significant impairment of phagolysosomal fusion at 100 ng/ml (p = 0.018). The inhibitory effect of Tat on phagolysosomal fusion was blocked by the addition of 1 μg/ml monoclonal anti-Tat antibody. Candidacidal activity of peripheral monocytes was not altered by HIV-1 Tat protein at the concentration of 1 μg/ml. These results indicate that HIV-1 Tat protein can affect the monocyte microbicidal mechanisms at the phagolysosomal fusion step with little or not effect upon the lytic activity.
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