Human immunodeficiency virus infection in cells of myeloid-monocytic lineage.

We established persistent infection with a strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1, HTLV-IIIB, in a promyelomonocytic cell line, ML-1 (CD4 antigen nearly negative and CD4 mRNA negative), and a promonocytic cell line, THP-1 (CD4 antigen positive). Different reaction of giant cell formation was found after co-cultivation of infected and uninfected cells of ML-1, HL-60, THP-1 and U-937 cell lines with uninfected and infected MOLT4 (a T-lymphoma cell line).