Phenotypic and functional parameters of cellular immunity in a chimpanzee with a naturally acquired simian immunodeficiency virus infection.

The cellular immunologic and virologic status of a chimpanzee, naturally infected with a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-like lentivirus (SIVcpz-ant), was compared longitudinally with those of 3 HIV-1-infected and 5 uninfected chimpanzees for a period of 49 months. Evidence of immune deficiency was not observed in the HIV-1-infected chimpanzees, nor could virus be isolated from plasma. Virus could be isolated from plasma of the SIVcpz-ant-infected chimpanzee, but clinical signs of immune deficiency were never observed.

In vivo treatment with a monoclonal chimeric anti-CD4 antibody results in prolonged depletion of circulating CD4+ cells in chimpanzees.

Chimeric M-T412 (cM-T412), an anti-CD4 antibody, was tolerated in chimpanzees at a dosage of 5 mg/kg per day for up to 7 consecutive days, or 5 mg/kg per dose, twice weekly for 4 weeks. All cM-T412-treated chimpanzees showed a prolonged CD4-cell depression. Weak chimpanzee antibody responses to chimeric M-T412 were observed.

Large-scale production of Plasmodium vivax sporozoites.

Mass-scale production of Plasmodium vivax sporozoites in Anopheles stephensi was achieved using the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) as a source of infective blood. Membrane feeding was as successful as feeding mosquitoes directly on the animal so long as the time between drawing the blood and feeding was restricted to 45 min. Longer delays such as 2-3 h resulted in loss of infectivity in terms of oocyst production.

Antibodies to the RNase H domain of hepatitis B virus P protein are associated with ongoing viral replication.

Antibodies against the RNase H domain of human hepatitis B virus P protein(s) are frequent markers of acute and chronic virus infection (T. Weimer, K. Weimer, Z.

Human monoclonal antibody Ha6D3, a candidate for treatment of leukaemia? In vitro reactivity of Ha6D3 with leukaemic cells and in vivo applications in a chimpanzee.

The human monoclonal antibody Ha6D3 of the IgM type was used to stain malignant lymphoma cells from peripheral blood in flow cytometry and from cryosections of lymph nodes using the immunoperoxidase technique. It was found to react with peripheral white blood cells of all 12 cases of leukaemia and with lymph node cells of seven out of 11 B cell lymphomas and with the one T cell lymphoma tested so far. For in vivo experiments a batch of 70 mg Ha6D3 was purified and 6 mg Ha6D3 was injected intravenously into a chimpanzee with time intervals of 10 months and 1 month.