title: Gamma/Delta T cell mRNA levels decrease at mucosal sites and increase at lymphoid sites following an oral SIV infection of macaques.
abstract: The oral and esophageal mucosa have been identified as possible sites of HIV/SIV entry following oral infection. Here, gamma/delta (gammadelta) T cells, a multi-functional T cell subset, were assessed at oral/esophageal mucosa and lymphoid sites at the earliest times (1-14 days) post-oral SIV inoculation utilizing quantitative RT-PCR. During these earliest times post-infection, decreased gammadelta TCR mRNA levels were observed at the oral gingiva and esophageal mucosa, while increased levels were observed within regional lymph nodes (cervical and retropharyngeal). Higher lymph node gammadelta TCR levels were associated with increased mRNA expression of the lymphoid homing chemokine/receptor (CCL21/CCR7) pair in these lymph nodes. In contrast to gammadelta TCR levels, CD4 mRNA expression remained relatively stable through 4 days post-infection, and depletion of CD4 T cells was only evident after 7 or 14 days post-infection. The decrease of gammadelta T cell mRNA from mucosal sites and the corresponding increase at lymphoid sites suggest a rapid redistribution of these immune cells at these earliest times post-SIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas TX. USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kosub
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durudas
authors.forename: Ginger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lehrman
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Milush
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: Mamta K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sodora
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004947:Esophagus / Q000276:immunology*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000276:immunology*; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell