Figure 6.

NK cell depletion results in increases in SIV RNA, SIV DNA and productively infected cells in lymph nodes. (a) Quantification of SIVagm. sab₉₂₀₁₈ RNA in plasma by qRT–PCR in five chronically infected AGMs (the same as in Fig. 5) before and after anti-IL-15 administration. The gray line represents the viremia levels in individual monkeys over time, and the purple line represents the median viremia. The black arrows show the days of anti-IL-15 administration. (b) Quantification of the cell-associated SIV RNA and DNA levels in LN. The LNs of six monkeys without treatment were compared to LNs from five anti-IL- 15-treated monkeys. Each dot represents an individual animal. Tx, anti-IL-15 treatment. (c) Virus-producing cells (SIV RNA; red) in the LNs of NK cell–depleted AGMs. Representative images are shown of an inguinal LN for five different monkeys, with one image for each of the five anti-IL-15-treated monkeys. The panels numbered 1, 2 and 3 correspond to magnified views of the labeled squared regions. Follicles are enclosed by the dashed white lines. Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-tests were applied in b in each graph, Horizontal bars indicate median values with error bars indicating standard deviation (s.d). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.005. Horizontal bars indicate median values, and error bars indicate standard deviation.