NATURAL CONTROL OF MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM IN SAIDS

这个试点项目的目标是确定源头 感染SIV的猴子的感染情况，表征免疫相关性 并确定接种疫苗预防疾病的可行性 禽型分枝杆菌对SAIDs动物的机会性感染 在SAIDs群体中，禽类分枝杆菌感染(MAI)的发病率为 从1988年检测不到的水平上升到最近几年的18-25%。 这种机会性感染会导致腹泻、恶病质和 有时免疫功能严重受损的猴子会出现肺炎 与艾滋病儿童的MAI有显著的相似性。我们检测到M。 Avium通过培养和聚合酶链式反应(PCR)鉴定 环境(土壤和水)和猴子的分子指纹图谱 分析。到目前为止，从环境中分离出来的菌株很少会深度感染 猴子的组织。猴巨噬细胞的体外检测 表明混合感染SIV和一种常见的SIV菌株的细胞 在我们的猴群中发现的致病性禽类分支杆菌产量高于 预期的病毒水平。我们致病菌株的蛋白质组分 正在被描述为。我们已经证明了被感染的动物 患有SIV和严重免疫缺陷的人可以感染我们的 致病菌株(MavK128)接种人菌株 禽型支原体(Serovar 4)未能感染免疫缺陷猴子。 目前，我们已经为四只动物接种了灭活的禽类分支杆菌疫苗。 SIV感染，并将评估疾病是否减轻 接种疫苗。未来的研究将继续寻找有前途的 M.

The objectives of this pilot project are to establish the source of infection in SIV-infected monkeys, characterize immune correlates of disease, and determine the feasibility of vaccination to prevent opportunistic infection of SAIDS animals with Mycobacterium avium. The incidence of M. avium infection (MAI) in the SAIDS colony has increased from undetectable levels in 1988 to 18-25% in recent years. This opportunistic infection produces diarrhea, cachexia, and sometimes pneumonia in severely immunocompromized monkeys with remarkable similarity to MAI in children with AIDS. We detect M. avium by culture and PCR and characterize isolates from the environment (soil and water) and monkeys by molecular fingerprint analysis. To date, isolates from the environment rarely infect deep tissues of monkeys. In vitro testing of monkey macrophages demonstrates that cells co-infected with SIV and a common strain of pathogenic M. avium found in our monkey colony produces higher than expected levels of virus. Protein components of our pathogenic strain are being characterized. We have demonstrated that animals infected with SIV and severely immunodeficient can be infected with our pathogenic strain (MavK128) while inoculation with a human strain of M. avium (Serovar 4) fails to infect immunodeficient monkeys. Currently, we have vaccinated four animals with killed M. avium prior to SIV-infection and will assess whether disease is attenuated by vaccination. Future studies will continue to look for promising formulations of M.