Depletion of pDC during chronic HIV-1 infection increases HIV-1 replication associated with reduced IFN-I expression.

<p>Humanized mice were infected HIV-JRCSF and were treated weekly with 15B or control at 11 weeks post-infection and terminated at 21 weeks post-infection (mock, <i>n</i> = 6; JR-CSF+control, <i>n</i> = 9; JR-CSF+15B, <i>n</i> = 9). (<b>A</b>) Plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (genome copy#×log10/ml) at each time point were analyzed by real-time PCR. (<b>B</b>) Representative FACS histograms and summarized data (<b>C</b>) show percentages of HIV p24-positive CD4 T cells (CD3⁺CD8⁻) in the spleen. (<b>D</b>) The production of IFNα2 in the plasma, from mock infected (n = 4), JR-CSF+PBS (n = 5) and JR-CSF+15B (n = 5) at either 11 wpi (pre-) or 21 wpi (post-), was measured by Luminex. (<b>E</b>) The mRNA levels of IFN-I genes or ISGs Mx1 and TRIM22 (<b>F</b>) in purified human CD45⁺ cells from spleens (n = 5). All bars in dot graphs indicate median value. Error bars indicate standard deviations (SD). * and ** indicate p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively. Relative ISGs expression in human CD45⁺ cells or in CD8 T cells (CD3⁺CD4⁻CD8⁺) in spleens are summarized in <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004291#ppat.1004291.s005" target="_blank">Figure S5</a>.