Peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 double-positive T cells of rhesus macaques become vulnerable to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus by in vitro stimulation due to the induction of CCR5

Diversity of Human and Macaque Airway Immune Cells at Baseline and during Tuberculosis Infection

Immune cells of the distal airways serve as "first responders" of host immunity to the airborne pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb infection of cynomolgus macaques recapitulates the range of human outcomes from clinically silent latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active tuberculosis of various degrees of severity. To further advance the application of this model to human studies, we compared profiles of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells of humans and cynomolgus macaques before and after Mtb infection. A simple gating strategy effectively defined BAL T-cell and phagocyte populations in both species. BAL from Mtb-naive humans and macaques showed similar differential cell counts. BAL T cells of macaques were composed of fewer CD4⁺cells but more CD8⁺ and CD4⁺CD8⁺ double-positive cells than were BAL T cells of humans. The most common mononuclear phagocyte population in BAL of both species displayed coexpression of HLA-DR, CD206, CD11b, and CD11c; however, multiple phagocyte subsets displaying only some of these markers were observed as well. Macaques with LTBI displayed a marked BAL lymphocytosis that was not observed in humans with LTBI. In macaques, the prevalence of specific mononuclear phagocyte subsets in baseline BAL correlated with ultimate outcomes of Mtb infection (i.e., LTBI versus active disease). Overall, these findings demonstrate the comparability of studies of pulmonary immunity to Mtb in humans and macaques. They also indicate a previously undescribed complexity of airway mononuclear phagocyte populations that suggests further lines of investigation relevant to understanding the mechanisms of both protection from and susceptibility to the development of active tuberculosis within the lung.

Robust suppression of env-SHIV viremia in Macaca nemestrina by 3-drug ART is independent of timing of initiation during chronic infection

BACKGROUND

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are an important model organism for studies of HIV pathogenesis and preclinical evaluation of anti-HIV therapies. The successful translation of NHP-derived data to clinically relevant anti-HIV studies will require better understanding of the viral strains and NHP species used and their responses to existing antiretroviral therapies (ART).

METHODS

Five pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were productively infected with the SIV/HIV chimeric virus SHIV-1157 ipd3N4 following intravenous challenge. After 8 or 27 weeks, ART (PMPA, FTC, raltegravir) was initiated. Viral load, T-cell counts, and production of SHIV-specific antibodies were monitored throughout the course of infection and ART.

RESULTS

ART led to a rapid and sustained decrease in plasma viral load. Suppression of plasma viremia by ART was independent of the timing of initiation during chronic infection.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a new NHP model of HIV infection on antiretroviral therapy, which should prove applicable to multiple clinically relevant anti-HIV approaches.