Lack of susceptibility of cells from patients with fabry disease to productive infection with R5 human immunodeficiency virus

A lack of viral replication after HIV-1 Ba-L (R5) but not HIV-1 IIIB (X4) infection was found using invitro activated peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells from patients with Fabry disease, who have a defect in the catabolism of globotriaosylceramide. CCR5, but not CD4 or CXCR4 expression levels, were lower and the surface expression ofglobotriaosylceramide was negligible on activated patients' cells. Our findings suggest a novel resistance mechanism to productive infection with R5 HIV-1 that potentially involves abnormal globotriaosylceramide catabolism.