CD40L-mediated apoptosis of HIV(+) serum-pulsed DC is proportional to viral loads and predominantly induced by the 100–1000 kDa fraction.

<p>(<b><i>A</i></b>) moDC were treated with HIV-1(+) sera with viral copy numbers >400,000/ml or <100,000/ml or normal AB serum (control) and co-cultured with CD40L Tf cells for 3 d. Data are expressed as individual datum with the mean. N = 4 for each condition; *p<0.05 and **p<0.01. (<b><i>B, C</i></b>) moDC were treated for 24 h with normal AB serum or with >1000 kDa or 100–1000 kDa fractions from HIV(+) serum and were co-cultured with CD40L Tf for 3 d. Data are representative of 5 experiments in <b><i>B</i></b> and expressed as mean ± SD in <b><i>C</i></b>; ** p<0.01.