title: Increased BST2 expression during simian immunodeficiency virus infection is not a determinant of disease progression in rhesus monkeys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2), also known as tetherin, HM1.24 or CD317 represents a type 2 integral membrane protein, which has been described to restrict the production of some enveloped viruses by inhibiting the virus release from the cell surface. This innate antiviral mechanism is counteracted by the HIV-1 viral factor Vpu, targeting BST2 for cellular degradation. Since antiviral BST2 activity has been mainly confirmed by in vitro data, we investigated its role in vivo on the disease progression using the SIV/macaque model for AIDS. We determined BST2 expression in PBMC and leukocyte subsets of uninfected and SIV-infected rhesus macaques by real-time PCR and flow cytometry and correlated it with disease progression and viral load.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to pre-infection levels, we found increased BST2 expression in PBMC, purified CD4(+) lymphocytes and CD14(+) monocytes of SIV-infected animals, which correlated with viral load. Highest BST2 levels were found in progressors and lowest levels comparable to uninfected macaques were observed in long-term non-progressors (LTNPs). During acute viremia, BST2 mRNA increased in parallel with MX1, a prototype interferon-stimulated gene. This association was maintained during the whole disease course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detected relationship between BST2 expression and viral load as well as with MX1 indicate a common regulation by the interferon response and suggest rather limited influence of BST2 in vivo on the disease outcome.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Centre, Goettingen, Germany. bmussil@dpz.eu.
authors.forename: Bianka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mussil
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Centre, Goettingen, Germany. javedaneela@googlemail.com.|Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), H12, Islamabad, Pakistan. javedaneela@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Aneela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Javed
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Centre, Goettingen, Germany. katharina.toepfer@web.de.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Töpfer
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Centre, Goettingen, Germany. usauerm@dpz.eu.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sauermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical University Innsbruck, ZVG 7G5 009A, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. sieghart.sopper@i-med.ac.at.|Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria. sieghart.sopper@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Sieghart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sopper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D007372:Interferons / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D023421:Models, Animal; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia; D057074:Virus Release
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D012367:RNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons