Gb. Baskin et al., DISTRIBUTION OF SIV IN LYMPH-NODES OF SERIALLY SACRIFICED RHESUS-MONKEYS, AIDS research and human retroviruses, 11(2), 1995, pp. 273-285
Rhesus monkeys were inoculated with SIVDeltaB670 and sacrificed 2, 4,
8, and 24 weeks after inoculation or when moribund. Two monkeys predic
ted to have a rapid disease course and two predicted to have a Slower
disease course were sacrificed at each time point. Lymph nodes were st
udied by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization,
electron microscopy, flow cytometry for lymphocyte subsets, and mitoge
n responsiveness. A greater selective decrease in peripheral CD4(+)CD2
9(+) (helper-inducer/memory) T cells occurred in monkeys with high ant
igenemia. Although the percentage of CD8(+) lymphocytes was increased
and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio decreased in all infected groups, there we
re no consistent differences between monkeys with high or low antigene
mia in lymph node lymphocyte subsets. Blastogenic responses of lymph n
ode lymphocytes to PHA, ConA, or PWM were not significantly altered in
infected monkeys, A reticular pattern typical of antigen deposition w
ithin germinal center follicular dendritic cells was seen in three mon
keys with atrophic lymph nodes, high serum antigenemia, and a low perc
entage of circulating CD4(+)/CD29(+) cells. More individually stained
cells were in monkeys with high serum antigen and in moribund animals.
By in situ hybridization, most monkeys had signal in a reticular patt
ern of germinal centers. Animals with higher levels of serum antigenem
ia tended to have more infected cells and a more intense signal. Extra
cellular virions were found between the FDC foot processes in the germ
inal centers of lymph nodes. Disease course was already established 2
weeks after inoculation.