This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.There is clearly an association between HIV infection and alcohol use. However, determining whether alcohol intake results in physiologic or immunologic conditions that increase the risk or susceptibility to infection rather than simply resulting in persons engaging in riskier behavior simply cannot be easily deciphered in humans. We are continuing to examine the interaction SIV and alcohol use in the well-controlled macaque model which can distinguish these factors. In previous years we showed that animals receiving alcohol had higher viral loads, and a more rapid progression to AIDS. In more recent studies we demonstrated that there were significantly higher percentages of central memory (CD95+CD28+) CD4+ lymphocytes specifically in the intestines from alcohol receiving animals before infection compared with controls. In addition, higher percentages of na ve (CD45RA+CD95-) as well as CXCR4+ CD4 cells were detected in intestines of alcohol treated macaques. We are currently examining whether alcohol use results in increased levels of transmission. We have acquired an additional 8 macaques, placed 4 of them on chronic alcohol use, and are planning to inoculate them with low doses of SIV to determine if there is a higher rate of transmission to macaques when consuming alcohol. This could have significance as a risk factor for persons who are consuming alcohol.
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