title: Comparison of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVagmVer replication and CD4+ T-cell dynamics in vervet and sabaeus African green monkeys.
abstract: The simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) naturally infect a wide range of African primates, including African green monkeys (AGM). Despite moderate to high levels of plasma viremia in naturally infected AGM, infection is not associated with immunodeficiency. We recently reported that SIVagmVer90 isolated from a naturally infected vervet AGM induced AIDS following experimental inoculation of pigtailed macaques. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the replication of this isolate in two species of AGM, sabaeus monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) and vervets (C. pygerythrus). Inoculation of sabaeus AGM with SIVagmVer90 resulted in low and variable primary and set-point viremia (<10(2) to 10(4) copies/ml). In contrast, inoculation of vervet AGM with either SIVagmVer90 or blood from a naturally infected vervet (Ver1) resulted in high primary viremia and moderate plateau levels, similar to the range seen in naturally infected vervets from this cohort. CD4(+) T cells remained stable throughout infection, even in AGM with persistent high viremia. Despite the lack of measurable lymphadenopathy, infection was associated with an increased number of Ki-67(+) T cells in lymph node biopsies, consistent with an early antiviral immune response. The preferential replication of SIVagmVer in vervet versus sabaeus AGM shows that it is critical to match AGM species and SIV strains for experimental models of natural SIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Simoy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ilnour
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ourmanov
authors.forename: Ivona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pandrea
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buckler-White
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.forename: Jayashree S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.forename: Gabriel J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Autissier
authors.forename: Jörn E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Vanessa M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Hirsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*