In order to investigate whether decreased levels of pDCs in HIV-infected individuals could result from accelerated cell death in the setting of HIV infection, we incubated PBMCs with either recombinant HIV envelope protein gp160 (Protein Sciences) or with a CEM cell line chronically infected with HIV (CEM-IIIB) and assessed resultant pDC viability. This evidence concerns the gene ERVW-1 and HIV infectious disease.