Open AccessAcquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a colony of macaque monkeys.
Author(s) -
Norman L. Letvin,
Kathryn A. Eaton,
Wayne R. Aldrich,
Prabhat K. Sehgal,
Beverly J. Blake,
Stuart F. Schlossman,
Norval W. King,
Ronald D. Hunt
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.80.9.2718
Subject(s) - macaque , immunodeficiency syndrome , biology , immunology , pokeweed mitogen , immunodeficiency , hepatitis , cytotoxic t cell , neutropenia , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , virology , immune system , chemotherapy , genetics , paleontology , in vitro
A naturally occurring immunodeficiency syndrome has been seen in a captive colony of macaque monkeys. This syndrome is seen primarily in the species Macaca cyclopis. Affected animals died with lymphomas (a rare disease in macaques) or such opportunistic infections as Pneumocystis carinii and noma (necrotizing gingivitis). These M. cyclopis exhibited anemia, neutropenia, and a circulating bizarre immature monocyte. In addition, liver function tests suggested hepatitis. Pokeweed mitogen-, concanavalin A-, and xenogeneic cell-stimulated proliferative responses by lymphocytes of animals with the syndrome were dramatically diminished. The T4 (helper, inducer)/T8 (suppressor, cytotoxic) ratio in the peripheral blood mononuclear T-cell populations of M. cyclopis in this colony are decreased when compared with those from either Macaca mulatta in the same colony or normal humans. Epidemiologic evidence implicates a common source agent in this syndrome. The similarity of this syndrome in macaques to human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome suggests that it may provide an important model for studying the human syndrome.