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Viral dynamics of early HIV infection in neonatal macaques after oral exposure to HIV‐2 287 : an animal model with implications for maternal–neonatal HIV transmission
Author(s) -
Herz Arnd M.,
Robertson M.N.,
Lynch J.B.,
Schmidt A.,
Rabin M.,
Sherbert C.,
Agy M.B.,
Anderson D.,
Hu SL,
Greenberg P.D.,
Morton W.R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of medical primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1600-0684
pISSN - 0047-2565
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0684.2002.1o005.x
Subject(s) - viremia , virology , viral replication , viral load , transmission (telecommunications) , biology , reverse transcriptase , simian immunodeficiency virus , immunology , viral shedding , lentivirus , infectious dose , virus , polymerase chain reaction , viral disease , biochemistry , gene , electrical engineering , engineering
A model of vertical HIV transmission was developed using oral HIV‐2 287 exposure of newborn Macaca nemestrina . The minimal Animal Infectious Dose for this oral route was found to be 10‐fold higher than that for atraumatic viral transmission across other mucosal membranes (vaginal/rectal) of juvenile macaques. However, once infection was established, viral replication was rapid and plasma viremia could be detected by reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and viral co‐culture within 1 week following exposure. No animal was resistant to infection and all macaques initially exposed to a subinfectious viral inoculum were subsequently infected by re‐exposure of mucosal membranes. Higher viral load during primary infection correlated with a more rapid CD4 depletion; however, all HIV‐2 287 ‐infected animals developed CD4 depletion during the observation period. This animal model can now be used to study early viral replication in the presence and absence of anti‐retroviral agents to help identify conditions to reduce vertical HIV transmission in human newborns.