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Journal of Virology, July 2005, p. 8237-8242, Vol. 79, No. 13
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.13.8237-8242.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Lentivirus-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Responses Are Rapidly Lost in Thymectomized Cats Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Kathleen A. Hayes,1,2,{dagger} Sadi Köksoy,1,2,{dagger},{ddagger} Andrew J. Phipps,1,2 Wayne R. Buck,1,2,§ Gary J. Kociba,1,2,3 and Lawrence E. Mathes1,2,3*

Department of Veterinary Biosciences,1 Center for Retrovirus Research,2 Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 432103

Received 28 January 2005/ Accepted 2 March 2005

To what extent the thymus is needed to preserve the virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response of lentivirus-infected adults is unclear. Presented here is the first definitive study using thymectomized (ThX) animals to directly evaluate the contribution of thymic function to lentivirus-specific CTL response and the control of lentivirus infections. ThX and mock-ThX cats were inoculated with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and monitored for their FIV-specific CTL responses. Early in infection, both FIV-ThX and FIV-mock-ThX cats produced similar CTL responses, but surprisingly, after 20 weeks, the FIV-ThX cats showed a statistically significant loss of FIV-specific CTL activity, while FIV-infected cats with intact thymuses continued to maintain FIV-specific CTL. The loss of CTL did not affect plasma virus load, which remained elevated for both groups. These results emphasize the importance of thymic integrity in maintaining immunity to lentiviruses, but also bring into question the notion that virus load is regulated predominantly by the virus-specific CTL response.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: The Ohio State University, Center for Retrovirus Research, 1925 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210. Phone: (614) 292-7317. Fax: (614) 292-6473. E-mail: mathes.2{at}osu.edu.

{dagger} K.A.H. and S.K. contributed equally to the work.

{ddagger} Present address: Human Gene Therapy Unit of Akdeniz University College of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.

§ Present address: Division of Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, 18703 Three Rivers Rd., Covington, LA 70433.

Journal of Virology, July 2005, p. 8237-8242, Vol. 79, No. 13
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.13.8237-8242.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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