Short report

Role of CD8+ cells in controlling replication of nonpathogenic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac1A11

Koen KA Van Rompay¹ , Emily J Blackwood¹ , Gary Landucci² , Don Forthal² and Marta L Marthas^1,3

¹  California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA

²  Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California, USA

³  Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA

author email corresponding author email

Virology Journal 2006, 3:22doi:10.1186/1743-422X-3-22

Published:	3 April 2006

Abstract

Infection of macaques with the avirulent molecular clone SIVmac1A11 results in transient low viremia and no disease. To investigate if this low viremia is solely due to intrinsic poor replication fitness or is mediated by efficient immune-mediated control, 5 macaques were inoculated intravenously with SIVmac1A11. Three animals that were depleted of CD8+ cells at the start of infection had more prolonged viremia with peak virus levels 1 to 2 logs higher than those of 2 animals that received a non-depleting control antibody. Thus, CD8+ cell-mediated immune responses play an important role in controlling SIVmac1A11 replication during acute viremia.