Variation in virological parameters and antibody responses in macaques after atraumatic vaginal exposure to a pathogenic primary isolate of SIVmac251.
We developed an animal model for the male-to-female transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, consisting of an atraumatic vaginal application of simian immunodeficiency virus onto the intact vaginal mucosa of cynomolgus macaques. Different doses of a pathogenic isolate of SIVmac251, with or without seminal plasma, were infused into the vaginas of female macaques. Infection of macaques could be achieved after a single exposure to the virus. Two patterns of infection were underscored with no relation to the virus dose inoculated: in 50% of the monkeys, SIV was persistently recovered and a strong antibody response to SIV was evidenced in blood and vaginal secretions. In the other infected animals, SIV infection was only transiently evidenced and a weak systemic antibody response was detected. It appeared that the presence of seminal plasma may be implicated in this variability only when low doses of virus are inoculated. Sequence analysis of the env gene of SIV revealed that most of the persistently viraemic animals were infected with a viral variant different from that of transiently viraemic macaques.
Neildez
O
O
CEA, Service de Neurovirologie, CRSSA, DSV/DRM, Fontenay aux Roses, France.
Le Grand
R
R
Chéret
A
A
Caufour
P
P
Vaslin
B
B
Matheux
F
F
Théodoro
F
F
Roques
P
P
Dormont
D
D
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000821:virology; D014766:Viremia
D000914:Antibodies, Viral