title: Characterization of peripheral and mucosal immune responses in rhesus macaques on long-term tenofovir and emtricitabine combination antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is to suppress virus replication to limit immune system damage. Some have proposed combining ART with immune therapies to boost antiviral immunity. For this to be successful, ART must not impair physiological immune function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the impact of ART (tenofovir and emtricitabine) on systemic and mucosal immunity in uninfected and simian immunodeficiency (SIV)-infected Chinese rhesus macaques. Subcutaneous ART was initiated 2 weeks after tonsillar inoculation with SIVmac239.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no evidence of immune dysregulation as a result of ART in either infected or uninfected animals. Early virus-induced alterations in circulating immune cell populations (decreased central memory T cells and myeloid dendritic cells) were detected, but normalized shortly after ART initiation. ART-treated animals showed marginal SIV-specific T-cell responses during treatment, which increased after ART discontinuation. Elevated expression of CXCL10 in oral, rectal, and blood samples and APOBEC3G mRNA in oral and rectal tissues was observed during acute infection and was down regulated after starting ART. ART did not impact the ability of the animals to respond to tonsillar application of polyICLC with increased CXCL10 expression in oral fluids and CD80 expression on blood myeloid dendritic cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early initiation of ART prevented virus-induced damage and did not impede mucosal or systemic immune functions.
authors: Center for Biomedical Research, HIV/AIDS Program, Population Council, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Edith
authors: E
authors: Jasny
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: Geer
authors: Ines
authors: I
authors: Frank
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Vagenas
authors: Meropi
authors: M
authors: Aravantinou
authors: Andres M
authors: AM
authors: Salazar
authors: Jeffrey D
authors: JD
authors: Lifson
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Piatak
authors: Agegnehu
authors: A
authors: Gettie
authors: James L
authors: JL
authors: Blanchard
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Robbiani
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000818:Animals; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D000068698:Tenofovir
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D063065:Organophosphonates; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000068698:Tenofovir; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D000225:Adenine