Persistence of viral RNA in lymph nodes in ART-suppressed SIV/SHIV-infected Rhesus Macaques

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21724-0
• Publication Date: 2021-03-05T11:03:22Z
• Authors: Anthony M. Cadena; John D. Ventura; Peter Abbink; Erica N. Borducchi; Hubert Tuyishime; Noe B. Mercado; Victoria Walker-S...; Mazuba Siamatu; Po-Ting Liu; Abishek Chandrash...; Joseph P. Nkolola; Katherine McMahan; Nicole Kordana; Venous Hamza; Esther A. Bondzie; Emily Fray; Mithra Kumar; Stephanie Fischinger; Sally A. Shin; Mark G. Lewis; Robert F. Siliciano; Galit Alter; Dan H. Barouch
• Keywords: Simian immunodeficiency virus

Abstract The establishment of a long-lived viral reservoir is the key obstacle for achieving an HIV-1 cure. However, anatomic, virologic, and immunologic features in tissues during antiretroviral therapy (ART) remain poorly understood. Here we present comprehensive necroscopic analysis SIV/SHIV multiple lymphoid non-lymphoid from SIV/SHIV-infected rhesus macaques suppressed with ART one year. Viral DNA observed broadly comparable animals that had initiated at week 1 or 52 infection. In contrast, RNA restricted primarily to lymph nodes. Ongoing transcription not result unsuppressed replication, as single-genome amplification subsequent phylogenetic do show evidence evolution. Gag-specific CD8+ T cell responses are predominantly secondary organs chronically infected prior these dominated by CD69+ populations. Overall, observe widely distributed across tissue sites act site persistent under conditions long-term suppression.