EVIDENCE FOR THE PERSISTENCE OF MONOCLONAL EXPANSIONS OF CD8(-CELLS FOLLOWING PRIMARY SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION() T)

A longitudinal study of the CD8(+) TCR variable (V beta) chain reperto ire was performed in rhesus macaques experimentally infected with simi an immunodeficiency virus (SIV) using both TCR V beta chain-specific m onoclonal antibodies and TCR beta chain CDR3 length analysis. Expansio ns of subpopulations of CD8(+) T cells were detected during the acute phase of SIV infection. In all monkeys studied, monoclonal expansions persisted for at least 18 months and increasingly dominated the repert oire of CD8(+) T cells expressing the relevant V beta chain. This stud y shows that persistent CD8(+) T cell expansions develop in response t o a virus infection. This is important not only for our understanding of the T cell response to viruses but also for understanding the facto rs that determine the normal CD8(+) TCR repertoire.