Simian AIDS-associated lymphoma in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys recapitulates the primary pathobiological features of AIDS-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
A. Habis et al., Simian AIDS-associated lymphoma in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys recapitulates the primary pathobiological features of AIDS-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, AIDS RES H, 15(15), 1999, pp. 1389-1398
Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occur with increased frequency (3-6%) in HIV-infect
ed individuals. These AIDS-associated lymphomas (AALs) exhibit characterist
ics that distinguish them from lymphomas in the general population. A propo
sed model for the pathogenesis of AAL includes the following: (1) Tumorigen
esis is multistep; (2) tumors occur in long-term survivors; (3) tumors are
of clonal B cell origin; (4) HIV acts early and is an indirect effector (5)
tumor cells are infected with EBV; and (6) specific genetic lesions occur
in tumor cells. Mane aspects of this process remain to be tested in an anim
al model system. Since 1984, necropsy examinations have been performed on m
ore than 1000 SIV-infected rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys at the Tulane Regi
onal Primate Research Center. Lymphoid malignancies were detected in a prop
ortion of SIV-infected animals. These SAIDS-associated lymphomas (SALs) hav
e been studied to determine the extent to which their pathological features
recapitulate a working model for the pathogenesis of AAL. The results show
that lymphomas occur in SIV-infected rhesus macaques at 4% incidence, simi
lar to that of AAL, and that the incidence of SAL in cynomolgus macaques is
eightfold higher. Analysis of SAL from both species of macaques demonstrat
ed significant similarity to the hallmark pathobiological features of AAL,
These findings indicate that the HIV-infected human and the SIV-infected ma
caque share a common pathobiology and mechanism of lymphomagenesis.