title: Impaired thymopoietic potential of immature CD3(-)CD4(+)CD8(-) T cell precursors from SIV-infected rhesus monkeys.
abstract: Immature thymocyte subpopulations were examined for their capacity to differentiate in a newly developed xenogeneic monkey-mouse fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC) system. We provide evidence for impaired precursor function of CD3(-)CD4(+)CD8(-) thymocytes after in vivo infection with SIVmac251 as indicated by a reduced cell number per FTOC and a lower percentage of thymocytes with more mature phenotypes. Addition of recombinant SIV glycoprotein 120 (rgp120) also resulted in a dose-dependent impairment of T cell maturation in FTOC. The data suggest that in patients infected with HIV, T cell maturation and thus replenishment of peripheral pools may be compromised as a result of intrathymic infection or circulating viral gp120.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 7, 97078 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neben
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heidbreder
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marxer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Didier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schimpl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hünig
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerkau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120