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Biomedical subjects

K A Reimann

Publications and source records attributed to K A Reimann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A humanized form of a CD4-specific monoclonal antibody exhibits decreased antigenicity and prolonged plasma half-life in rhesus monkeys while retaining its unique biological and antiviral properties.

Certain monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against CD4 can efficiently block HIV-1 replication in vitro. To explore CD4-directed passive immunotherapy for prevention or treatment of AIDS virus infection, we previously examined the biological activity of a nondepleting CD4-specific murine MAb, mu5A8. This MAb, specific for domain 2 of CD4, blocks HIV-1 replication at a post-gp120-CD4 binding step. When administered to normal rhesus monkeys, all CD4+ target cells were coated with antibody, yet no cell clearance or measurable immunosuppression occurred. However, strong anti-mouse Ig responses rapidly developed in all monkeys. In the present study, we report a successfully humanized form of mu5A8 (hu5A8) that retains binding to both human and monkey CD4 and anti-AIDS virus activity. When administered intravenously to normal rhesus monkeys, hu5A8 bound to all target CD4+ cells without depletion and showed a significantly longer plasma half-life than mu5A8. Nevertheless, an anti-hu5A8 response directed predominantly against V region determinants did eventually appear within 2 to 4 weeks in most animals. However, when hu5A8 was administered to rhesus monkeys chronically infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques, anti-hu5A8 antibodies were not detected. Repeated administration of hu5A8 in these animals resulted in sustained plasma levels and CD4+ cell coating with humanized antibody for 6 weeks. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of chronic administration of CD4-specific MAb as a potential means of treating or preventing HIV-1 infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Immunoglobulin V(H) usage during primary infection of rhesus monkeys with chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency viruses.

It has been suggested that naive immunoglobulins encoded by the V(H)3 gene family interact aberrantly with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 via a superantigenic epitope, causing initial expansion and eventual depletion of V(H)3-expressing B cells. However, this possibility has not been prospectively assessed during an AIDS virus infection. We determined V(H) family usage in rhesus monkeys during primary infection with chimeric viruses expressing HIV-1 envelopes on a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) backbone (SHIVs). Four SHIVs with different envelopes and pathogenicities were studied. V(H) family usage was prospectively assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymph node cells of these monkeys by a semiquantitative PCR technique. In the first months following SHIV infection, a period of intense viral antigenemia, representation of various V(H) families increased or decreased for individual monkeys, but no single V(H) family was consistently altered. In particular, the average representation of V(H)3-bearing B lymphocytes did not change. This observation suggests that the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 does not selectively expand or deplete the V(H)3 repertoire of primate B cells during acute AIDS virus infection, contrary to predictions of the gp120 superantigen hypothesis.

Animals↗

Characterization of molecularly cloned simian-human immunodeficiency viruses causing rapid CD4+ lymphocyte depletion in rhesus monkeys.

In vivo passage of a chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-89.6) expressing the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) tat, rev, vpu, and env genes generated pathogenic viruses (SHIV-89.6P) inducing rapid CD4+ lymphocyte depletion and AIDS-like illness in rhesus monkeys (K. Reimann, J. T. Li, R. Veazey, M. Halloran, I.-W. Park, G. B. Karlsson, J. Sodroski, and N. L. Letvin, J. Virol. 70:6922-6928, 1996). To characterize the molecular changes responsible for this increase in virulence, infectious proviral clones of SHIV-89.6P isolates were derived. Viruses generated from some of these clones caused a rapid and profound decline of CD4+ lymphocytes in a high percentage of inoculated monkeys. Nucleotide changes potentially responsible for the increased virulence of SHIV-89.6P were limited to the env, tat, or long terminal repeat sequences, with most of the observed changes in env. Nucleotide changes in env altered 12 amino acids in the gp120 and gp41 exterior domains, and a 140-bp deletion in env resulted in the substitution of the carboxyl terminus of the SIVmac gp41 glycoprotein for that of the HIV-1 gp41 glycoprotein. The availability of pathogenic proviral clones should facilitate dissection of the molecular determinants of SHIV-89.6P virulence.

Animals↗

A chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency virus expressing a primary patient human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolate env causes an AIDS-like disease after in vivo passage in rhesus monkeys.

The utility of the simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques (SIVmac) model of AIDS has been limited by the genetic divergence of the envelope glycoproteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the SIVs. To develop a better AIDS animal model, we have been exploring the infection of rhesus monkeys with chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIVs) composed of SIVmac239 expressing HIV-1 env and the associated auxiliary HIV-1 genes tat, vpu, and rev. SHIV-89.6, constructed with the HIV-1 env of a cytopathic, macrophage-tropic clone of a patient isolate of HIV-1 (89.6), was previously shown to replicate to a high degree in monkeys during primary infection. However, pathogenic consequences of chronic infection were not evident. We now show that after two serial in vivo passages by intravenous blood inoculation of naive rhesus monkeys, this SHIV (SHIV-89.6P) induced CD4 lymphopenia and an AIDS-like disease with wasting and opportunistic infections. Genetic and serologic evaluation indicated that the reisolated SHIV-89.6P expressed envelope glycoproteins that resembled those of HIV-1. When inoculated into naive rhesus monkeys, SHIV-89.6P caused persistent infection and CD4 lymphopenia. This chimeric virus expressing patient isolate HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins will be valuable as a challenge virus for evaluating HIV-1 envelope-based vaccines and for exploring the genetic determinants of HIV-1 pathogenicity.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

An env gene derived from a primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolate confers high in vivo replicative capacity to a chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency virus in rhesus monkeys.

To explore the roles played by specific human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genes in determining the in vivo replicative capacity of AIDS viruses, we have examined the replication kinetics and virus-specific immune responses in rhesus monkeys following infection with two chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIVs). These viruses were composed of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 expressing HIV-1 env and the associated auxiliary HIV-1 genes tat, vpu, and rep. Virus replication was assessed during primary infection of rhesus monkeys by measuring plasma SIVmac p27 levels and by quantifying virus replication in lymph nodes using in situ hybridization. SHIV-HXBc2, which expresses the HIV-1 env of a T-cell-tropic, laboratory-adapted strain of HIV-1 (HXBc2), replicated well in rhesus monkey peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) in vitro but replicated only to low levels when inoculated in rhesus monkeys. In contrast, SHIV-89.6 was constructed with the HIV-1 env gene of a T-cell- and macrophage-tropic clone of a patient isolate of HIV-1 (89.6). This virus replicated to a lower level in monkey PBL in vitro but replicated to a higher degree in monkeys during primary infection. Moreover, monkeys infected with SHIV-89.6 developed an inversion in the PBL CD4/CD8 ratio coincident with the clearance of primary viremia. The differences in the in vivo consequences of infection by these two SHIVs could not be explained by differences in the immune responses elicited by these viruses, since infected animals had comparable type-specific neutralizing antibody titers, proliferative responses to recombinant HIV-1 gp120, and virus-specific cytolytic effector T-cell responses. With the demonstration that a chimeric SHIV can replicate to high levels during primary infection in rhesus monkeys, this model can now be used to define genetic determinants of HIV-1 pathogenicity.

Animals↗

In vivo administration of CD4-specific monoclonal antibody: effect on provirus load in rhesus monkeys chronically infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques.

Since monoclonal antibodies (MAb) specific for CD4 are potent inhibitors of HIV and SIV replication in vitro, we explored their potential usefulness in vivo as an AIDS therapy. The anti-CD4 MAb 5A8 binds to domain 2 of the CD4 molecule and inhibits virus replication and virus-induced cell fusion at a postvirus binding step. Administration of this MAb to normal rhesus monkeys coats all circulating and lymph node CD4 cells and induces neither CD4 cell clearance nor measurable immunosuppression. In the present study, monkeys chronically infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques (SIVmac) had stable levels of SIVmac provirus in PBMC prior to treatment as measured by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique. Six infected monkeys treated with anti-CD4 MAb demonstrated a significant decrease in SIVmac provirus level after 9 days. Of these monkeys, 3 had > 800 CD4 cells/microliter and developed strong antimouse Ig responses that prevented further treatment. The remaining 3 monkeys had < 800 CD4 cell/microliter and failed to develop antimouse Ig antibody responses. When treatment was continued for 12-21 days in these monkeys, a sustained or further decrease in SIVmac provirus load occurred over the extended treatment period. Four monkeys that received a control MAb of irrelevant specificity for 9-22 days showed either no significant change or a transient increase in SIVmac provirus. Thus, the passive administration of anti-CD4 MAb may exert a specific antiviral effect in controlling immunodeficiency virus infection in vivo.

Animals↗

Studies of complement-activating antibodies in the SIV/macaque model of acute primary infection and vaccine protection.

Questions regarding the potential impact of complement-activating antibodies on lentivirus pathogenesis and vaccine development were addressed in the SIV/macaque model by evaluating sera for activity related to complement-mediated, antibody-dependent enhancement (C'-ADE) of SIV infection in vitro. C'-ADE activity in sera obtained during acute primary infection in macaques inoculated with SIVmac251 appeared before neutralizing antibodies and coincided with the initial peak and decline of plasma antigenemia. The power of C'-ADE activity (i.e., virus production measured by p24 immunoassay) decreased as titers of neutralizing antibodies increased in these animals, suggesting a balance in the net effect between C'-ADE and neutralizing activities in vitro. Antibodies with C'-ADE activity were also induced in macaques immunized with live-attenuated SIVmac239/nef-deletion or primed with recombinant SIVmne gp120 vaccinia virus and boosted with SIVmne rgp160. The titer (i.e., last serum dilution to show enhancement), peak (i.e., serum dilution producing the greatest enhancement as measured by p24 production), and power (i.e., magnitude of p24 production at the peak titer) of C'-ADE activity in sera obtained from vaccinated macaques on the day of challenge were comparable to those of sera from infected macaques and showed no correlation with vaccine outcome, where some protected animals had C'-ADE profiles that resembled those of unprotected animals. The results of these studies suggest that antibodies having C'-ADE activity in vitro could contribute to virus replication or, alternatively, to virus clearance during the acute stage of SIV infection in macaques.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

The expression of P-glycoprotein in canine lymphoma and its association with multidrug resistance.

Canine lymphoma is a spontaneous, naturally occurring disease that is a model for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans. Chemotherapy with antineoplastics results in a high rate of remission; however, relapse and clinical drug resistance are usually seen within 8-10 months. The P-glycoprotein product of the mdr gene is thought to function as an ATP-driven membrane drug efflux pump and appears to play an important role in tumor cell resistance. To assess the role of mdr gene products in drug resistance in canine lymphoma, membrane preparations of lymphoma cells from 31 dogs with high- or intermediate-grade lymphoma were subjected to Western blotting for detection of P-glycoprotein. In this study, one of 30 samples taken from dogs prior to receiving chemotherapy expressed detectable levels of P-glycoprotein. P-glycoprotein was also detected in biopsy samples from 3 of 8 dogs that had become resistant to chemotherapy. This pattern of expression is similar to that in human non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These studies suggest that canine lymphoma is a useful model for studying multidrug resistance.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Transmission of a chronic lymphoproliferative syndrome in ferrets.

BACKGROUND: Lymphomas and leukemias are caused by transmissible viruses in a wide variety of species, including humans, cattle, and cats. Features of lymphoma in ferrets suggest that it, too, may have an infectious etiology. No agent has been identified. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cells or cell-free inocula from a ferret with spontaneous malignant lymphoma were administered i.p. to six recipient ferrets. Two ferrets received fresh cells, two received frozen cells, and two received cell-free culture supernatant. The recipients were monitored routinely clinically and hematologically, and lymphoma was confirmed histologically. The lymphomas were characterized using cytology, cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, and histology. Cultivated cells from the donor and recipients were examined using reverse transcriptase assay, microscopy, and electron microscopy. RESULTS: All of the six recipient ferrets developed mild sustained lymphocytosis within 6 weeks of the inoculation. Two of six were euthanized 14 to 18 months after inoculation. Lymphoma was later diagnosed in three of the four remaining ferrets at 24 to 36 months after inoculation. All developed a chronic indolent syndrome featuring profound splenomegaly, lymphocytosis with atypia, and histologically polymorphous lymphoma. Two of the three who developed lymphoma had received fresh donor lymphoma cells, and the third had received supernatant from donor cell cultures with elevated reverse transcriptase activity. Cultivated cells from the affected ferrets demonstrated reverse transcriptase activity and retrovirus-like particles. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates horizontal transmission of malignant lymphoma in ferrets using cell or cell-free inocula. Clinical and pathologic features of this syndrome in ferrets resembled virally induced lymphomas in other species.

Animals↗

Macrophage function in simian AIDS. Killing defects in vivo are independent of macrophage infection, associated with alterations in Th phenotype, and reversible with IFN-gamma.

Infection of macrophages (M phi) in vitro with M phi-tropic isolates of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) did not affect killing of Cryptococcus neoformans up to 16 days after inoculation (p < 0.05). Conversely, alveolar M phi from animals with SIV-induced AIDS killed C. neoformans less efficiently (10.4 +/- 2.8% killing) and, when stimulated with phorbol myristate, produced less superoxide anion (O2-; 0.15 +/- 0.02 O2-/h/mg M phi protein) than M phi from uninfected monkeys (21.8 +/- 1.6% killing and 0.29 +/- 0.02 O2-/h/mg M phi protein). In contrast, killing and O2- release were accentuated in SIV+ asymptomatic animals (25.8 +/- 2.3% killing and 0.40 +/- 0.04 O2-/h/mg M phi protein; p < 0.05). M phi-mediated killing and O2- production could be restored by culturing the affected cells in supernatants derived from Con A-stimulated PBMC of uninfected or SIV+ asymptomatic monkeys. Supernatants with restorative properties had high IFN-gamma bioactivity (63.4 +/- 11.0 U/ml) and elevated IL-10 concentrations (75.3 +/- 10.4 pg/ml) as compared with PBMC supernatants derived from animals with AIDS (IFN-gamma, 9.7 +/- 4.9 U/ml; IL-10, 24.0 +/- 10.1 pg/ml). Functional restoration was found to be dependent, in part, on the presence of IFN-gamma, as neutralizing Abs to IFN-gamma significantly inhibited functional restoration in active supernatants. Moreover, the inactivity of supernatants from mitogen-stimulated PBMC cultures derived from animals with AIDS was not solely dependent upon the loss of CD4+ lymphocytes, inasmuch as purified pulmonary alveolar and peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from only uninfected and SIV+ asymptomatic animals, and not those from animals with AIDS, produced IFN-gamma upon mitogen stimulation. Collectively, these findings suggest that functional aberrations in alveolar M phi from animals with AIDS are not directly due to virus infection but likely result from changes in the pulmonary microenvironment in association with the multisystemic loss and dysfunction of CD4+ T cells.

Animals↗

Use of human leukocyte-specific monoclonal antibodies for clinically immunophenotyping lymphocytes of rhesus monkeys.

The rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is an important experimental animal frequently utilized for studies of infectious diseases, immunity, hematopoiesis, and transplantation. Since the structure of cell surface molecules is phylogenetically conserved, monoclonal antibodies raised against human leukocyte antigens can sometimes recognize the homologous determinant on monkey leukocytes. To facilitate better utilization of this animal model, we tested 89 commercially available monoclonal antibodies which define 27 human cell surface antigens for reactivity with rhesus monkey PBL. Certain antigens which delineate clinical useful lymphocyte subsets such as CD2, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD16, CD20, and MHC class II are apparently well conserved since most human cell-specific antibodies identified the homologous cell subset in monkeys. However, other antigens such as CD3, CD19, CD45, and CD56 were identified infrequently by human cell-specific antibodies. FITC-modification of antibodies which had no effect on their binding to human cells occasionally inhibited antibody binding to monkey cells. Nevertheless, an adequate number of cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies was identified to allow gating of lymphocytes for accurate flow cytometric analysis and quantitation of the major lymphocyte subsets of the rhesus monkey. The T lymphocyte subset distribution in blood and lymphoid tissue of rhesus monkeys was similar to man. However, the B subset was significantly larger in monkeys. The daily variation in absolute PBL subset size was marked and found to be due mainly to daily fluctuations in total lymphocyte number.

Animals↗

Immunopathogenic events in acute infection of rhesus monkeys with simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques.

Infection of the rhesus monkey with simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques (SIVmax) was employed to explore the early immune events associated with the initial containment of an acute AIDS virus infection. In nine rhesus monkeys infected intravenously with uncloned SIVmac strain 251, high-level p27 plasma antigenemia was usually detected transiently from approximately day 7 through day 21 following virus inoculation. SIVmac replication in lymph nodes measured by in situ RNA hybridization closely paralleled the time course and magnitude of viremia. The containment of SIVmac spread by 3 to 4 weeks following infection suggests an efficient, early immune control of this virus infection. Anti-SIVmac antibodies were first detected in the blood at approximately day 14. At the time antigenemia was decreased or cleared, SIVmac neutralizing antibodies were present. A rise in circulating and lymph node CD8+ T cells also occurred coincident with the clearance of antigenemia and persisted thereafter. These CD8+ lymphocytes in lymph nodes had increased expression of both major histocompatibility complex class II and the adhesion molecule LFA-1; they also demonstrated decreased expression of the naive T-cell-associated CD45RA molecule. SIVmac-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursors were detected in both blood and lymph node by 7 days post-virus inoculation. These studies indicate that both virus-specific humoral and cellular immune mechanisms in blood and lymph node are associated with the clearance of viremia that occurs within the first month of infection of rhesus monkeys with SIVmac.

Animals↗

Kinetic expression of endothelial adhesion molecules and relationship to leukocyte recruitment in two cutaneous models of inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Adhesive interactions between circulating leukocytes and endothelium is requisite for subsequent leukocyte extravasation at inflammatory sites. These adhesive events are mediated by a repertoire of proteins and carbohydrate moieties on both leukocyte and endothelial membranes. Understanding the kinetic expression of these adhesion molecules during an inflammatory cascade in vivo is important for the design and testing of rational therapeutic approaches directed at the blockade of adhesion molecule function in inflammatory disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Two cutaneous inflammatory models were examined using healthy rhesus monkeys. Acute cutaneous injury was studied during a 72-hour period by intradermal injection of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) and subsequent biopsy. These tissues were then compared with those obtained from a cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DHR), elicited by intradermal injections of mammalian tuberculin in sensitized animals and followed for up to 11 days. Expression of E-selectin, P-selectin, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 was assessed using immunohistochemistry and compared with leukocyte localization and immunohistochemical expression of interleukin (IL) 1, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Finally, relevant adhesion ligands on leukocytes were assessed using flow cytometry. RESULTS: The lipopolysaccharide model was characterized by early (0.5 hours) and sustained (up to 72 hours) expression of E-selectin on the superficial dermal vasculature, with maximal expression by 8 hours. The expression of VCAM-1 was either not detected or minimal. Neutrophil localization, as detected by elastase immunoreactivity, paralleled E-selectin expression with a 4- to 12-hour lag phase, being maximal by 24 hours. In contrast, DHR was characterized by the dual asynchronous expression of both E-selectin and VCAM-1. Localization of CD2+ lymphocytes, representing the predominant cell type recruited, kinetically followed the expression of E-selectin and VCAM-1, being maximal in number at approximately 48 hours after peak expression of both of these endothelial proteins. Neutrophil recruitment in lipopolysaccharide-induced injury was associated with immunohistochemical localization of TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-8, whereas only TNF-alpha was consistently detected in DHR. During DHR, blood lymphocyte expression of L-selectin, VLA-4 (CD49d; alpha chain), and lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (both CD11a (alpha chain) and CD18 (beta chain)) did not change. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study demonstrate that cutaneous inflammatory infiltrates of varying cellular compositions are associated temporally and spatially with unique patterns of endothelial adhesion molecule and cytokine expression.

Animals↗

Conserved T-cell receptor repertoire in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys.

Studies to assess the possibility that the HIV may encode a superantigen that plays a role in the depletion of functional CD4+ lymphocytes in the infected individual have yielded discrepant results. The problem in performing conclusive examinations of this issue may be attributed, at least in part, to the difficulty of prospectively studying individuals from before their infection until the time of profound CD4+ lymphocyte loss. To determine whether the AIDS virus deletes particular subpopulations of V beta-expressing lymphocytes, we have employed an animal model of AIDS, the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaque monkey. Rhesus monkeys were experimentally infected with SIVmac and studied prospectively. A PCR-based quantitative method for assessing TCR repertoire was employed to analyze the expression of 24 V beta and 30 V alpha gene families in the monkeys. Although circulating PBL were increased in number by 3 wk after SIVmac infection, the expanded lymphocyte populations exhibited no significant perturbation in their TCR V beta repertoires. PBL obtained from monkeys before and 0.5 to 3 years after infection displayed no significant change in V beta and V alpha gene family expression. Finally, no deletion of V beta-expressing cell subpopulations could be demonstrated in purified CD4+ lymphocytes from infected monkeys. This was true even for monkeys whose blood contained less than 200 CD4+ lymphocytes/microliters. These results indicate that the TCR repertoire is conserved in SIVmac-infected rhesus monkeys and suggests that mechanisms other than superantigen-induced deletion must be responsible for CD4+ lymphocyte loss in these animals.

Animals↗

In vivo administration to rhesus monkeys of a CD4-specific monoclonal antibody capable of blocking AIDS virus replication.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for CD4 are potent inhibitors of HIV replication in vitro. These agents may be useful prophylactically or in chronic HIV infection if they can be administered without inducing immunosuppression. In the present study, we explored the safety of a CD4-specific murine mAb in rhesus monkeys. The mAb 5A8, which binds to domain 2 of the CD4 molecule, inhibits AIDS virus replication noncompetitively at a postvirus binding step. This antibody, which had a similar affinity for rhesus monkey and human CD4 cells, efficiently inhibited in vitro replication of both HIV-1 and the simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques. A single 3-mg/kg injection of mAb 5A8 into normal rhesus monkeys coated all circulating and lymph node CD4 cells for 4-6 days. CD4 cells were not cleared from circulation nor was the CD4 molecule modulated from the lymphocyte surface. In fact, administration of mAb 5A8 resulted in an approximately one-to twofold increase in absolute number of circulating CD4 cells. Repeated administration in normal rhesus monkeys resulted in CD4 lymphocyte coating with mAbs for > 9 days without CD4 cell clearance or modulation. While coated with mAbs, PBLs of these monkeys retained normal in vitro proliferative responses to mitogens and these animals generated normal humoral responses in vivo to tetanus toxoid. Loss of cell coating with mAbs in normal monkeys corresponded to the appearance of anti-mouse immunoglobulin antibodies. Thus, administration of certain anti-CD4 mAbs capable of blocking HIV replication can achieve coating of the entire CD4 cell pool in rhesus monkeys without inducing significant cell loss or immunosuppression.

Animals↗

Simian immunodeficiency virus-specific CD8+ lymphocyte response in acutely infected rhesus monkeys.

To assess the possible role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in containing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus in acutely infected individuals, the temporal evolution of the virus-specific CD8+ lymphocyte response was defined in simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques (SIVmac)-infected rhesus monkeys. A brief period of SIVmac plasma antigenemia was seen 9 to 16 days following intravenous infection with SIVmac, ending as the absolute number of CD8+ peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) increased. In a prospective assessment of the ability of CD8+ lymphocytes of these monkeys to suppress SIVmac replication in autologous PBLs, inhibitory activity was detected as early as 4 days, with a more pronounced effect 12 to 16 days following infection. SIVmac Gag- and Nef-specific CD8+ effector cell activities were demonstrable in PBLs of animals by 2 weeks following virus inoculation. In fact, SIVmac-specific CTL precursors were documented in the PBLs of rhesus monkeys 4 to 6 days after SIVmac infection. These studies indicate that AIDS virus-specific CD8+ CTLs are present in PBLs within days of infection and may play an important role in containing the early spread of virus.

Acute Disease↗

Function and evolutionary conservation of distinct epitopes on the leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (TQ-1, Leu-8) that regulate leukocyte migration.

The leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (LAM-1, TQ=1, Leu-8) in humans, like its murine homologue, MEL-14, is the principal receptor that mediates the binding of leukocytes to high endothelial venules (HEV) of peripheral lymph nodes. In this study, several regions of the protein which mediate receptor function were identified by using a large panel of murine mAb reactive with LAM-1. Individual mAb reacted with LAM-1+ cells with characteristic intensities of immunofluorescence staining, and each bound both lymphocytes and neutrophils. Lymphocyte attachment to HEV was significantly inhibited by the binding of five mAb. In contrast, only two of these mAb were able to completely block the binding of phosphomannan monoester core complex from the yeast Hansenula holstii cell wall (PPME), a phosphomannan monoester core polysaccharide that serves as a soluble model of the natural ligand of LAM-1. Interestingly, the binding of two anti-LAM-1 mAb to cells induced a significant increase in PPME binding, reminiscent of the increase in receptor affinity observed after leukocyte activation. Antibody cross-blocking studies indicated that many of the functionally important epitopes were spatially distinct, and domain mapping indicated that they recognized distinct domains of LAM-1. The expression and function of these epitopes were further assessed by using a variety of animal species to further characterize the functionally relevant epitopes defined in these studies. At least some anti-LAM-1 mAb reacted with leukocytes from monkey, cow, rabbit, sheep, dog, cat, pig, and goat, but not from chicken, rat, or mouse. The reactivity of anti-LAM-1 mAb in several animal species correlated with the ability of leukocytes to bind PPME, and mAb that inhibited lymphocyte binding to HEV in man could also inhibit this function in rhesus monkey and dog. Thus, several LAM-1 epitopes are structurally and functionally well conserved throughout recent mammalian evolution, emphasizing an important role for LAM-1 in the regulation of leukocyte traffic.

Animals↗