The Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDCs) in Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (MAIDS)

Abstract

Murine AIDS is an animal model used to study human AIDS. Infection of susceptible strains of mice such as C57BL/6 with murine leukemia virus (MuLV) leads to MAIDS in a manner analogous to HIV-induced AIDS. Conversely, MAIDS resistant strains like BALB/c generate a successful immune defense against the virus after infection. Dendritic cells (DCs) play the largest role in viral particle processing and activation of naïve T cells, which elicit immune responses that can eradicate HIV or MuLV infection. The few published studies that have examined the role of a specific DC subset, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), in AIDS, express opposing views; some argue that pDCs inhibit HIV spread, while others argue pDCs promote it. We used flow cytometry to compare pDC percentages in the spleens of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice one week post-infection. Firstly, we identified a larger pDC (CD317+ and CD45R+) population in the susceptible strain after infection; this difference was statistically significant (p <.0001). These findings suggested that pDCs may be associated with disease vulnerability. Secondly, phenotypic differences were observed between strains, suggesting that these cell populations may be distinct. Nevertheless, the observed strain-specific differences in CD317+CD45+ population might influence disease susceptibility in MAIDS, and correspondingly could influence our understanding of human AIDS-susceptibility.