The level of monocyte turnover predicts disease progression in the macaque model of AIDS.
It is widely accepted that destruction of CD4(+) T cells and viral load are the primary markers for immunodeficiency in HIV-1-infected humans and in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques. However, monocyte/macrophages are also important targets of HIV/SIV infection and a critical link between innate and adaptive immunity. We therefore examined whether changes in cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage could be linked to the pathogenesis of AIDS in the rhesus macaque model. Here, we show that massive turnover of peripheral monocytes associated with death of tissue macrophages correlates with AIDS progression in macaques. More importantly, the level of monocyte turnover was not linked to the CD4(+) T-cell count and was a better predictive marker for AIDS progression than was viral load or lymphocyte activation. Our results show the importance of monocyte/macrophages in the pathogenesis of AIDS and suggest the dynamic changes of the monocyte/macrophages as a new marker for AIDS progression.
Hasegawa
Atsuhiko
A
Division of Immunology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Science Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA .
Liu
Huining
H
Ling
Binhua
B
Borda
Juan T
JT
Alvarez
Xavier
X
Sugimoto
Chie
C
Vinet-Oliphant
Heather
H
Kim
Woong-Ki
WK
Williams
Kenneth C
KC
Ribeiro
Ruy M
RM
Lackner
Andrew A
AA
Veazey
Ronald S
RS
Kuroda
Marcelo J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral