HIV-C-DCs show a significantly higher activation of specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell clones and higher suppression of viral replication.

<p>IFNγ induction in both CD4⁺<i>(A)</i> and CD8⁺<i>(B)</i> T cell clones by C-opsonized HIV exposed DCs (HIV-C) was significantly stronger than that of non-opsonized HIV loaded DCs (HIV-DCs; p = 0.0011 for CD4⁺ T cell clones, p<0.0001 for CD8⁺ T cell clones). Untreated DCs (iDC) served as negative control and as positive controls specific peptide-loaded DCs for CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell clones were used (pepDC). IFNγ Elispots of differentially stimulated CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell clones were repeated using HLA-matched DCs from three donors exposed to differentially opsonized HIV-1 preparations (HIV, HIV-C). <i>(C)</i> Co-cultures of HIV- or HIV-C-exposed BDCA1⁺ DCs and autologous T cells revealed that productive infection of HIV-1 was significantly suppressed, when complement-opsonized HIV was used for loading of DCs compared to HIV-BDCA1⁺ DCs (p = 0.0314). A summary of p24 ELISA values on day 7 pI from supernatants of 3 different donors performed in triplicates is depicted. p24 values from HIV- and HIV-C- loaded BDCA1⁺ DC/CD4⁺ T cell co-cultures were analyzed using an unpaired Student´s t test.