Detection of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CD8 T cells in macaques protected from SIV challenge by prior SIV subunit vaccination

Abstract

Vaccines for lentiviruses would ideally induce in the host complete resistance to infection of host cells. However, such sterilizing immunity may be neither readily achievable nor absolutely necessary to provide protection from exposure to the immunodeficiency viruses. To examine the nature of protective immunity to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), we studied three macaques that had been immunized with a recombinant vaccinia virus-based SIV subunit vaccine regimen and exhibited protection from a challenge with cell-free SIV(MNE) as determined by viral cultures, serology, and PCR for viral genomes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from the protected macaques and analyzed f..