ISSN:
1573-675X
Keywords:
AIDS
;
apoptosis
;
CD4 T cells
;
chimpanzees
;
gp120
;
HIV infection
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infects both humans and chimpanzees, but in the chimpanzee, HIV-1 infection leads only very rarely to loss of CD4 T cells or to AIDS-like disease. The pathogenetic basis for this difference in host range is not understood. In previous studies, using CD4 T cells from HIV-1 seronegative human donors, we demonstrated that crosslinking of CD4-bound gp120, followed by signaling through the T cell receptor for antigen (TCR), resulted in cell death by apoptosis. To determine whether activation-induced apoptosis correlates with progression to AIDS, we studied the chimpanzee. Our data suggest that, although human CD4 T cells respond to CD4 ligation with anergy and apoptosis upon activation, chimpanzee CD4 T cells do not undergo apoptosis after cross-linking of CD4-bound gp120, followed by signaling through the TCR. In addition, proliferation assays show that chimpanzee CD4 T cells do not become anergic after CD4 ligation. Thus, it is possible that, in the chimpanzee, the absence of cellular anergy and apoptotic cell death after CD4 ligation by HIV-1 gp120 protect this primate species from progression to AIDS-like disease.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00142078
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