Figure 2.

Hallmarks of lentiviral infection in natural non-progressing hosts (vervets/AGMs and SMs) and progressing hosts (humans and RMs). In the acute phase of infection in vervet/AGMs, the immediate activation of macrophage-associated regenerative wound healing bypassing the early inflammatory stage prevents the loss of immune barrier function of the gut (156). However, chemically induced damage of the intestinal mucosa with DSS treatment during acute infection shifts the course of pathogenesis from a non-pathogenic course (controlling microbial translocation and its consequences of persistent activation of the immune system) to a pathogenic course (losing the containment of the luminal microbiota, leading to immune activation and inflammation on a local and systemic scale), demonstrating that dysfunction of the gut barrier can initiate a vicious cycle in SIV-infected non-progressing hosts (157). Whether the DSS-induced hallmarks of the pathogenic course of infection in AGMs are predictive of the development of HIV-like clinical manifestations typical to progressing infection, needs to be determined. Longer DSS administration is needed to determine whether that would be sufficient to evoke progression to AIDS.