FIG. 2.

Long-lasting viremia and CD4⁺ T-cell depletion in R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1-infected hNOG mice. (A) Viral copy numbers in plasma from 29 mice intravenously inoculated with R5-tropic HIV-1_JRCSF (65,000 TCID₅₀; n = 11), X4-tropic HIV-1_MNp (20,000 TCID₅₀; n = 10), and X4-tropic HIV-1_NL4-3 (60,000 TCID₅₀; n = 8). RNA viral copy numbers were measured using a real-time PCR quantification assay as previously described (22). (B) The percentages of CD4⁻ CD8⁺ (top left), CD4⁺ CD8⁺ (top right), and CD4⁺ CD8⁻ (bottom right) cells in blood, spleen, and thymus from a uninfected control mouse and a V-1_NL4-3-infected mouse (32 days postinfection). These two mice were constructed with HSCs from the same cord blood donor, and sacrificed 181 and 169 days after transplantation, respectively. A gate was set on the human CD45⁺ population. (C) Comparison of the apparent size of mesenteric LN from uninfected mice or mice infected with HIV-1_JRCSF (109 days postinfection), HIV-1_MNp (109 days postinfection), or HIV-1_NL4-3 (112 days postinfection). A uninfected control mouse was sacrificed 249 days after transplantation, and three HIV-1-infected mice were sacrificed 246, 246, and 249 days after transplantation. (D) Comparison of CD4/CD8 T-cell ratios and absolute CD4⁺ T-cell numbers in peripheral blood from uninfected control mice (n = 7), R5-tropic HIV-1_JRCSF-infected mice (n = 7), X4-tropic HIV-1_MNp-infected mice (n = 5), and X4-tropic HIV-1_NL4-3-infected mice (n = 6). Results are expressed as means ± standard deviations (error bars).