This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Intestinal CD4+ T cells are rapidly and profoundly depleted in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques. However, monitoring intestinal cells in humans is difficult, and identifying surrogate markers in the blood, which correlate with loss or restoration of intestinal CD4+ T cells could be helpful in monitoring the success of therapeutic strategies and vaccine candidates. Recent studies indicate HIV utilizes the intestinal homing molecule alpha4beta7 for attachment and signaling of CD4+ T cells, suggesting this molecule may have a central role in HIV pathogenesis. Here, we compared beta7(HIGH) integrin expression on CD4+ T cells in blood with loss of CD4+ T cells in the intestine of macaques throughout SIV infection. The loss of beta7(HIGH) CD4+ T cells in blood closely paralleled the loss of intestinal CD4+ T cells, and proved to be a more reliable marker of intestinal CD4+ T-cell loss than monitoring CCR5+ memory CD4+ T cells. These data are consistent with a recent hypothesis that alpha4beta7 has a role in the selective depletion of intestinal CD4+ T cells, and indicate that monitoring beta7(HIGH) expression on CD4+ T cells in the blood may be a useful surrogate for estimating intestinal CD4+ T cell loss and restoration in HIV-infected patients.
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