THE RESISTANCE OF HIV-INFECTED CHIMPANZEES TO PROGRESSION TO AIDS CORRELATES WITH ABSENCE OF HIV-RELATED T-CELL DYSFUNCTION

Differences in the in vivo and in vitro responses of T lymphocytes fro m chimpanzees and human subjects were compared for evidence of HIV-1 r elated T-cell dysfunction. There was no increased level of programmed cell death (PCD) in HIV-1 infected chimpanzees in contrast to asymptom atic individuals. Anergy could be induced with HIV-1 gp120 in human bu t not chimpanzee T-H lymphocytes, however in vitro infection of chimpa nzee T-H cultures with HIV-1 resulted in complete lysis of cells withi n three weeks. These findings suggest that the resistance of HIV-1 inf ected chimpanzees to progression to AIDS is due to their relative resi stance to the systemic effects of HIV-1 on T-cell dysfunction.