Induction of AIDS-like disease in macaque monkeys with T-cell tropic retrovirus STLV-III.
The T-cell tropic retrovirus of macaque monkeys STLV-III has morphologic, growth, and antigenic properties indicating that it is related to HTLV-III/LAV, the etiologic agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans. Four of six rhesus monkeys died within 160 days of STLV-III inoculation with a wasting syndrome, opportunistic infections, a primary retroviral encephalitis, and immunologic abnormalities including a decrease in T4+ peripheral blood lymphocytes. These data show that an immunodeficiency syndrome can be produced experimentally in a nonhuman primate by an agent from the HTLV-III/LAV group of retroviruses. The STLV-III-macaque system will thus provide a useful model for the study of antiviral agents and vaccine development for human AIDS.
Letvin
N L
NL
Daniel
M D
MD
Sehgal
P K
PK
Desrosiers
R C
RC
Hunt
R D
RD
Waldron
L M
LM
MacKey
J J
JJ
Schmidt
D K
DK
Chalifoux
L V
LV
King
N W
NW
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D017977:Deltaretrovirus; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D012190:Retroviridae; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000939:Epitopes; D007376:Interleukin-2