Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected T Cells and Monocytes are Killed by Monoclonal Human Anti-gp41 Antibodies Coupled to Ricin A Chain

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 86; no. 6; pp. 1987 - 1991
• Main Authors: Till, M. A., Zolla-Pazner, S., Gorny, M. K., Patton, J. S., Uhr, J. W., Vitetta, E. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-03-1989; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: AIDS; Antibodies; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cell Survival; Cytotoxicity; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; HIV; HIV - immunology; HIV Antigens - immunology; HIV Envelope Protein gp120; HIV Envelope Protein gp160; HIV Envelope Protein gp41; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - physiology; Immunosorbent Techniques; Immunotoxins - pharmacology; Microbiology; Molecular Weight; Molecules; Monocytes; Monocytes - immunology; Monocytes - microbiology; Recombinant Proteins; Retroviridae Proteins - pharmacology; Ricin - administration & dosage; Ricin - pharmacology; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - microbiology; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viral Envelope Proteins - pharmacology; Virology; Viruses; Human; Monocyte; Antibody; Leukocyte; Retroviridae; AIDS; Hemopathy; Virus; Infection; Viral disease; Radioimmunoassay; T-Lymphocyte; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.86.6.1987

Two human monoclonal antibodies specific for the envelope glycoprotein (gp), gp41, of the human immunodeficiency virus were conjugated to deglycosylated ricin A chain. These immunotoxins killed human immunodeficiency virus-infected H9 (T cell) and U937 (monocyte) cell lines but were nontoxic to the uninfected cell lines or to class II-positive Daudi cells. Specific killing of infected H9 cells could be completely blocked by recombinant gp160 and partially blocked by unconjugated anti-gp41 antibody but was not blocked by recombinant gp120 or human IgG demonstrating specificity for gp41. The specific toxicity of the immunotoxins for infected U937 cells was markedly potentiated by chloroquine.