title: Hematologic abnormalities associated with simian immunodeficieny virus (SIV) infection mimic those in HIV infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies of hematologic abnormalities in HIV-infected patients are confounded by a multitude of factors. A retrospective data analysis of simian immunodeficieny virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques (RM) of Indian origin was performed to determine the prevalence of hematologic abnormalities free of these confounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hematologic data from RM inoculated with SIV and without antiviral therapy were examined pre-inoculation, and throughout infection and the development of AIDS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, eosinophilia, and neutropenia all increased in prevalence with SIV infection. Significant increases in prevalence for both neutropenia and neutrophilia were also detected in SIV-infected macaques. SIV-infected macaques also had lower lymphocyte counts and increased prevalence of lymphopenia compared with non-infected subjects. The prevalence of eosinophilia was significantly increased during SIV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concordance of hematologic abnormalities during SIV infection of macaques with similar changes in HIV infection of humans suggests that, like in HIV infection, hematologic abnormalities are major complications of SIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA.
authors.forename: Amy F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Muhammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ahsan
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lackner
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Veazey
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary