Induction of an AIDS Virus-Related Tuberculosis-Like Disease in Macaques: a Model of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus- Mycobacterium Coinfection

Abstract

ABSTRACT The mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfection facilitates development of HIV-related tuberculosis is poorly characterized. Macaque models of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV mac )- Mycobacterium bovis BCG coinfection were employed to explore the pathogenesis of AIDS virus-related tuberculosis. Following BCG coinfection, SIV (SIV)-infected macaques with high viral loads developed an SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease. This disease was characterized clinically by a syndrome of diarrhea, anorexia, weight loss, and altered levels of consciousness and pathologically by the presence of disseminated granulomas. In contrast, SIV mac -infected macaques with low viral loads either showed no evidence of BCG-induced disease or developed focal granulomatous lesions. Pathogenic SIV-BCG interactions appeared to play a critical role in triggering the development of this SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease. BCG coinfection enhanced the destruction of CD4 + T cells in SIV mac -infected macaques whose viral loads were high. Reciprocally, exacerbations of SIV disease led to marked suppression of BCG-specific T-cell responses, persistence of the BCG infection, and development of an SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease. Furthermore, development of this SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease was also seen in naïve macaques simultaneously inoculated with SIV mac and BCG. These results provide in vivo evidence that coinfection of AIDS virus-infected individuals with an avirulent mycobacterium can lead to development of a tuberculosis-like disease.