HIV infection of IL-7–treated naive T cells.

(A) CD45RA⁺CD45RO⁻ T cells were isolated and pretreated with IL-2, IL-7, or were left untreated. At 6 days after cytokine treatment, the cells were infected with IIIB, Bal, 302 056, 302 073, 302 142, or 302 144. HIV-1 p24 levels were measured 6 days after infection. Values are the median p24 (pg/mL) measurement from 6 donors. Two donors were not responsive to the IL-7–mediated infection and are not included in this figure panel. (B) HIV gag/pol DNA was measured on day 6 after IIIB, 302 142, and 302 144 infection by means of a quantitative PCR-ELISA. (C) Supernatants from IL-7–, IL-2–, or PHA–treated/HIV IIIB–infected cultures shown in panel A were added to PHA-stimulated PBMCs, and p24 levels were measured on day 6. *P < .01 (significant) of IL-7–treated cells over untreated cultures, by means of the Wilcoxon rank test.