CD4 T cell activation in C/R and T/F HIV-1 variants infected human cervical tissue <i>ex vivo</i>.

<p>Blocks of human cervical tissue were infected with C/R and T/F viruses and cultured <i>ex vivo</i>. 12 days post infection, the tissues were enzymatically digested and their cells were analyzed by polychromatic flow cytometry. Cells were stained for T cell markers CD3, CD4 and CD8 as well as for the activation markers CD25, CD38, CD69, CD95, and HLA-DR. Infected cells were identified with intracellular staining for HIV-1 p24. The fraction of infected (p24⁺) CD4 T cells expressing a given activation marker was expressed as % of the fraction of T cells expressing the same marker in matched uninfected control tissue. Data showing individual experiments and summary box plots for n = 9 to 17 (median, 25^th and 75^th percentiles, and range) of activation marker expression in tissues infected with C/R viruses (empty boxes) and in tissues infected with T/F viruses (filled boxes) are presented.