SIV cardiomyopathy in non-human primates

While cardiac myocytes are not generally considered conventional cellular t argets of retroviral infection with HIV-1, the increasing recognition of AI DS related cardiomyopathy has raised important questions as to the viral pa thogenesis. Our laboratory has explored the role of simian immunodeficiency viral (SIV) infection in non-human primates as a suitable large-animal mod el to examine cardiac involvement. Our data suggest that in the presence of inflammatory, myocarditis, SIV is localized to CD4 bearing inflammatory ce lls and not cardiac myocytes, suggesting that the heart may be an innocent bystander in AIDS cardiomyopathy. (C) 2001, Elsevier Science Inc.