High levels of SIVmnd-1 replication in chronically infected Mandrillus sphinx

Citation

Pandrea I, Onanga R, Kornfeld C, Rouquet P, Bourry O, Clifford SL, Telfer PT, Abernethy K, White L, Ngari P, Muller-Trutwin M, Roques P, Marx PA, Simon F & Apetrei C (2003) High levels of SIVmnd-1 replication in chronically infected Mandrillus sphinx. Virology, 317 (1), pp. 119-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2003.08.015

Abstract
Viral loads were investigated in SIVmnd-1 chronically infected mandrills and the results were compared with those previously observed in other nonpathogenic natural SIV infections. Four naturally and 11 experimentally SIVmnd-1-infected mandrills from a semi-free-ranging colony were studied during the chronic phase of infection. Four SIVmnd-1-infected wild mandrills were also included for comparison. Twelve uninfected mandrills were used as controls. Viral loads in all chronically infected mandrills ranged from 105 to 9 × 105 copies/ml and antibody titers ranged from 200 to 14,400 and 200 to 12,800 for anti-V3 and anti-gp36, respectively. There were no differences between groups of wild and captive mandrills. Both parameters were stable during the follow-up, and no clinical signs of immune suppression were observed. Chronic SIVmnd-1-infected mandrills presented slight increases in CD20+ and CD28+ /CD8+ cell counts, and a slight decrease in CD4+ /CD3+ cell counts. A slight CD4+ /CD3+ cell depletion was also observed in old uninfected controls. Similar to other nonpathogenic models of lentiviral infection, these results show a persistent high level of SIVmnd-1 replication during chronic infection of mandrills, with minimal effects on T cell subpopulations.

Keywords
SIVmnd-1; pathogenesis; mandrills; viral load; lymphocyte subsets

Journal
Virology: Volume 317, Issue 1