Depletion of CD8+ cells does not affect the lifespan of productively infected cells during pathogenic sivmac239 infection of rhesus macaques
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
While CD8+ T cell responses are clearly important in anti-viral immunity during HIV/SIV infection, the mechanisms by which CD8+ T cells induce this effect remain poorly understood, as emphasized by the failure of the Merck adenovirus-based, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-inducing AIDS vaccine in a large phase IIb clinical trial. In this study, we measured the in vivo effect of CD8+ lymphocytes on the lifespan of productively infected cells during chronic SIVmac239 infection of rhesus macaques by treating two groups of animals (i.e., CD8+ lymphocyte-depleted or controls) with antiretroviral therapy (PMPA and FTC). The lifespan of productively infected cells was calculated based on the slope of the decline of SIV plasma viremia using a well-accepted mathematical model. We found that, in both early (i.e., day 57 post-inoculation) and late (i.e., day 177 post-inoculation) chronic SIV infection, depletion of CD8+ lymphocytes did not result in an increased lifespan of productively infected cells in vivo. This result indicates that direct killing of cells producing virus is unlikely to be a major mechanism underlying the anti-viral effect of CD8+ T cells during SIV infection. These results have profound implications for the development of AIDS vaccines.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 960599
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-08-05446; LA-UR-08-5446; TRN: US201006%%1240
- Journal Information:
- Nature Medicine, Journal Name: Nature Medicine
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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