Preservation of memory CD4(+) T lymphocytes in breast milk of lactating rhesus monkeys during acute simian immunodeficiency virus infection.
Acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection is associated with a massive depletion of memory CD4(+) T lymphocytes in the gastrointestinal tract. To define the dynamics of the CD4(+) T lymphocyte subpopulations in breast milk during acute HIV or SIV infection, lymphocyte populations were monitored in blood and milk of 4 Mamu-A*01(+) rhesus monkeys after SIVmac251 inoculation. Strikingly, although the CD4(+) T lymphocytes in blood were depleted during the peak of viremia, the milk CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts remained unchanged, despite active virus replication in the breast milk compartment. Moreover, CD4(+) memory T lymphocytes were preserved in breast milk during acute infection. CD4(+) T lymphocytes in breast milk and other mucosal compartments of uninfected monkeys were similar in their memory phenotype, activation status, and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 expression. Interestingly, the number and proportion of effector CD8(+) T lymphocytes in milk were increased during acute SIV infection, suggesting effective control of virus-mediated CD4(+) T lymphocyte destruction in the breast milk compartment.
Permar
Sallie R
SR
Division of Viral Pathogenesis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sallie.permar@childrens.harvard.edu
Kang
Helen H
HH
Carville
Angela
A
Wilks
Andrew B
AB
Mansfield
Keith G
KG
Rao
Srinivas S
SS
Letvin
Norman L
NL
D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia