title: Exogenous immunosuppression with methylprednisolone does not reactivate a type D retrovirus in rhesus monkeys.
abstract: To determine whether immunosuppression would result in retrovirus expression in previously infected rhesus monkeys, chronic high dose methyl prednisolone therapy was administered to two groups of animals for 4 weeks. One group was antibody positive for a type D retrovirus, designated Type D/3/wisc. The second group of animals had no known exposure to Type D/3/wisc and was antibody negative to this virus. The monkeys were evaluated for immunosuppression and retrovirus re-expression following the corticosteroid therapy. Although this treatment induced a marked cellular immunosuppression in all animals, as measured by in vitro assays, in none of the animals was retrovirus viremia or retrovirus-associated disease detected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gravenstein
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ershler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000187:drug effects; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008934:Mitogens / Q000502:physiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000254:growth & development*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008934:Mitogens; D008775:Methylprednisolone