High frequency of virus-specific CD8+ T cells in the central nervous system of macaques chronically infected with simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac251

J Virol. 2003 Nov;77(22):12346-51. doi: 10.1128/jvi.77.22.12346-12351.2003.

Abstract

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) induces virus-specific CD8(+) T cells that traffic to lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. In this study, we used Gag-specific tetramer staining to investigate the frequency of CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood and the central nervous system of Mamu-A*01-positive SIV-infected rhesus macaques. Most of these infected macaques were vaccinated prior to SIVmac251 exposure. The frequency of Gag(181-189) CM9 tetramer-positive cells was consistently higher in the cerebrospinal fluid and the brain than in the blood of all animals studied and did not correlate with either plasma viremia or CD4(+)-T-cell level. Little or no infection in the brain was documented for most animals by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification or in situ hybridization. These data suggest that this Gag-specific response may contribute to the containment of viral replication in this locale.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / immunology*
  • Brain / virology
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Macaca
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / immunology*
  • Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / virology
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • RNA, Viral