title: Characterization of γδT cells in naïve and HIV-infected chimpanzees and their responses to T-cell activators in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  γδT cells are effector cells that eliminate cancer and virus-infected cells. Chimpanzees are an endangered species that can naturally and experimentally be infected with SIV and HIV, respectively, but no information about the functionality of γδT cells during chronic lentiviral infection is currently available.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy and HIV-infected chimpanzee γδT cells were characterized by flow cytometry. γδT subsets were studied after stimulation with T-cell activators, and the release of cytokines was analyzed by Luminex assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  γδT-cell subsets, Vδ1 and Vδ2Vγ9, showed different patterns in the expression of CD4, CD195, CD159a, and CD159c. Stimulation of γδT cells resulted in increased levels of CD4 and HLA-DR, which is more pronounced in Vδ1 T cells. Distinct cytokine patterns were found between healthy and HIV-infected chimpanzees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analyses of major chimpanzee γδT subsets show similarities to human γδT cells and suggest different functionality and roles in their immune response against HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology & Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA; Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Vida L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Hodara
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lanford
authors.forename: Luis D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Giavedoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015728:Receptors, HIV / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015728:Receptors, HIV
keywords: Chimpanzee; HIV/AIDS; gamma/delta