FIG. 1.

cART reduces CD4 decline in blood and colon in SIV-infected macaques. (A) Rhesus macaques (N = 19) were infected i.v. with SIVΔB670 and put on daily cART starting 6 wpi (blue triangle). Blood, colon biopsies (blue squares), and MLN (green circles) were collected before and after SIV infection. (B) Plasma viral RNA levels at each time point were measured by qRT-PCR. The dotted line indicates the limit of detection (30 copies/mL of plasma). (C) CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells (black line/left axis) and the CD4/CD8 (CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺) ratio (red line/right axis) in the blood were quantified by CBC using a hematology analyzer. (D) The frequency of CD4⁺ T cells (black line/left axis) within CD45⁺ cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio (red line/right axis) from colon biopsies was determined by flow cytometry. (B–D) Shown are medians with interquartile ranges. Shaded regions indicate periods of cART treatment. p-Values were determined using paired Wilcoxon tests, with p-values ≤0.05 considered significant. cART, combination antiretroviral therapy; CBC, complete blood count; i.v., intravenously; MLN, mesenteric lymph node; qRT-PCR, quantitative RT-PCR; SIV, simian immunodeficiency virus; wpi, weeks postinfection.