Interactions between simian immunodeficiency virus and Mycobacterium leprae in experimentally inoculated rhesus monkeys.
Thirty-four rhesus monkeys were inoculated with Mycobacterium leprae inoculum isolated from sooty mangabey monkeys with leprosy. Later it was learned that one of the M. leprae-donor mangabeys was asymptomatically infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Thus, five of the rhesus monkey were coinoculated with M. leprae and SIV. Three of the five became SIV-positive and developed signs of leprosy and an AIDS-like illness. Two animals remained healthy. The coinoculated leprosy-positive rhesus monkeys developed leprosy despite serologic response patterns to M. leprae antigens that usually indicate leprosy resistance. Three (60%) of the five SIV-positive rhesus monkeys developed leprosy compared with 21% of the animals who received SIV-free M. leprae inocula. Diminished lepromin skin test responses and decreasing T-helper cell percentages were observed in SIV-coinoculated rhesus monkeys with leprosy. These observations suggest that SIV increases the susceptibility of rhesus monkeys to leprosy, possibly related to loss of T-helper cell function.
Gormus
B J
BJ
Delta Regional Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, Louisiana 70433.
Murphey-Corb
M
M
Martin
L N
LN
Zhang
J Y
JY
Baskin
G B
GB
Trygg
C B
CB
Walsh
G P
GP
Meyers
W M
WM
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*