Correlation of central memory CD4+ T-Cell decrease in the peripheral blood with disease progression in SIVmac251-infected Chinese rhesus macaques.

Background Correlation of CD4+ Tcm cells in the peripheral blood to disease progression in SIVmac251 infection was examined in Chinese rhesus macaques. Methods Plasma viral RNA loads were measured by a quantitative real-time reverse transcription- PCR ( qRT- PCR) assay for SIV gag. Disease progression was determined based on time of survival. Phenotyping of CD4+ T-cell subsets in the peripheral blood was longitudinally performed by flow cytometry. Results Although CD4+ T-cell decrease and low CD4+/ CD8+ T-cell ratio in the peripheral blood after SIVmac251 infection did not correlate with disease progression, CD4+ Tcm cell decrease was observed to be correlated to disease progression in the SIVmac251-infected Chinese rhesus macaques. Conclusions Our findings suggest that CD4+ Tcm cell decrease could be used as a predictive marker for defining the pathogenesis of the SIV disease and consequently HIV/ SIV vaccine efficacy in Chinese rhesus macaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]