Figure 4. CD3⁺ T cell-CD14⁺ monocyte complexes from PLWH are dynamic.

(A) Phase-contrast microscopy of sorted CD3⁺ CD14⁺ T cell-monocyte complexes at time 0.

(B) Pie chart shows the percentage of CD14⁺ monocytes that are stably associated with T cells, transiently associated with T cells, or not associated with T cells over 4.5hrs.

(C & D) Insets of stable complexes, right-hand panel shows the time overlay and the color code. A yellow asterisk (*) in c marks a T cell that proliferates. Scale bars – purple pseudo color defines T cell and green marks the monocyte.

(E) Time series demonstrating transient interactions between CD14⁺ monocyte and three T cells (marked 1,2,3). Blue arrowheads and numbers mark the point of interactions between CD14⁺ monocyte and T cells.

(F) TEM of CD3⁺ T cell-CD14⁺ monocyte complexes. Inset highlights ultrastructural cell-cell interactions (i) and (ii) and the presence of 100nm diameter particles (black arrow).

(G) TEM of CD3⁺ T cell among sorted CD3⁺ T cell-CD14⁺ monocyte complexes 3 days postculture. Enlarged image (i) highlighting 100nm diameter particles (black arrow).

Scale bars are 50μm A, 20μm C-E, 4μM F, 500nm F(i), F(ii), G (i), and 1μm G.

See Videos 1–3.