Protective Immune Responses Induced by a Non-Pathogenic Simian/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (SHIV) against a Challenge of a Pathogenic SHIV in Monkeys

A simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-NM3n containing the human nef, but not the monkey nef, and vpr genes of SIV was inoculated into two cynomolgus monkeys, resulting in systemic infection with a minimum level of transient virus load. In order to study the nature of immune responses associated with the prevention of a pathogenic SHIV, the SIIIV-NM3n-inoculated monkeys and three naive monkeys were intravenously challenged with a pathogenic SHIV containing the envelope gene of HIV-1 89.6. After the heterologous virus challenge, all of the SHIV-NM3n-inoculated animals completely avoided the loss of CD4+ T lymphocytes in PBMC as well as lymphoid tissues compared to pathogenic SHIV-injected control animals. The inhibition of CD4+ cell depletion was associated with maintaining the proliferative response of helper T-cells against SIV p27 in the previously nonpathogenic virus-inoculated animals following the pathogenic virus challenge. Furthermore, the decline of CD28+ cells, the increase in CD95+ cells, and the enhancement of in vitro apoptosis in PBMC were inhibited in the non-pathogenic virus-inoculated animals. These results suggest that nonpathogenic SHIV-NM3n infection induces the protection of monkeys from heterologous pathogenic viruses that may be associated with blocking the change in immune responses and the cell loss induced by a pathogenic virus.