SIV Infection Induces Accumulation of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in the Gut Mucosa

Authors

R. Keith Reeves, Harvard Medical SchoolFollow
Tristan I. Evans, Harvard Medical School
Jacqueline Gillis, Harvard Medical SchoolFollow
Fay E. Wong, Harvard Medical School
Guobin Kang, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow
Qingsheng Li, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
R. Paul Johnson, Harvard Medical SchoolFollow

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Journal of Infectious Diseases 206:9 (2012), pp. 1462-1468; doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis408

Comments

Copyright © 2012 R. Keith Reeves, Tristan I. Evans, Jacqueline Gillis, Fay E. Wong, Guobin Kang, Qingsheng Li, and R. Paul Johnson. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Used by permission.

Abstract

Multiple studies suggest that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are depleted and dysfunctional during human immunodeficiency virus/simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV/SIV) infection, but little is known about pDCs in the gut—the primary site of virus replication. Here, we show that during SIV infection, pDCs were reduced 3-fold in the circulation and significantly upregulated the gut-homing marker α4β7, but were increased 4-fold in rectal biopsies of infected compared to naive macaques. These data revise the understanding of pDC immunobiology during SIV infection, indicating that pDCs are not necessarily depleted, but instead may traffic to and accumulate in the gut mucosa.