The depletion of immune T cells by human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 (HIV‐1) infection is a major mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of AIDS. Here, we examined a possible effector function of blood monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DCs) to induce apoptosis in bystander CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. The DCs were generated by culturing monocytes in the presence of granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and interleukin‐4. The DCs exposed to HIV‐1 particles were co‐cultured with healthy donor‐derived blood T cells at a ratio of 1:20. Analyses by percent cell mortality, staining with propidium iodide and reactivity with Annexin V revealed the induction of apoptosis in both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ target T cells. Further, this apoptosis occurred without stimulation with mitogens when the cell cycle of target T cells shifted from G₀ to G₁, probably due to the mitogenic effect of the DCs. Thus, induction of apoptosis in both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells occurred via interaction with DCs adsorbed with HIV‐1 particles.