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Journal of Virology, August 1999, p. 6361-6369, Vol. 73, No. 8
Division of Hematology/Oncology,
Received 16 March 1999/Accepted 10 May 1999
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected SCID-hu thymic
implants depleted of CD4+ cells can support renewed
thymopoiesis derived from both endogenous and exogenous T-cell
progenitors after combination antiretroviral therapy. However,
successful production of new thymocytes occurs transiently. Possible
explanations for the temporary nature of this thymic reconstitution
include cessation of the thymic stromal support function, exhaustion of
T-cell progenitors, and viral resurgence. Distinguishing between these
processes is important for the development of therapeutic strategies
aimed at reconstituting the CD4+ T-cell compartment in
HIV-1 infection. Using an HIV-1 strain engineered to express the murine
HSA heat-stable antigen surface marker, we explored the relationship
between HIV-1 expression and CD4+ cell resurgence kinetics
in HIV-1-depleted SCID-hu implants following drug therapy. Antiviral
therapy significantly suppressed HIV-1 expression in double-positive
(DP) CD4/CD8 thymocytes, and the eventual secondary decline of DP
thymocytes following therapy was associated with renewed viral
expression in this cell subset. Thymocytes derived from exogenous
T-cell progenitors induced to differentiate in HIV-1-depleted,
drug-treated thymic implants also became infected. These results
indicate that in this model, suppression of viral replication occurs
transiently and that, in spite of drug therapy, virus resurgence
contributes to the transient nature of the renewed thymic function.
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Reconstitution of Human Thymic Implants Is Limited
by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Breakthrough during
Antiretroviral Therapy
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of
Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine,
UCLA AIDS Institute and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los
Angeles, CA 90095-1678. Phone: (310) 825-0876. Fax: (310) 825-6192. E-mail: jzack{at}ucla.edu.
Journal of Virology, August 1999, p. 6361-6369, Vol. 73, No. 8
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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