Project description:Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play critical roles in mucosal barrier defense and tissue homeostasis. While ILCs are depleted in HIV-1 infection, this phenomenon is not a generalized feature of all viral infections. Here we show in untreated SIV-infected rhesus macaques (RMs) that ILC3s are lost rapidly in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) yet preserved in SIV+ RMs with pharmacologic or natural control of viremia. In healthy uninfected RMs, experimental depletion of CD4+ T cells in combination with DSS is sufficient to reduce ILC frequencies in the MLN. In this setting and in chronic SIV+ RMs, IL-7R alpha chain expression diminishes on ILC3s in contrast to the IL-18R alpha chain expression which remains stable. In HIV-uninfected patients with durable CD4+ T cell deficiency, deemed idiopathic CD4+ lymphopenia, similar ILC deficiencies in blood were observed, collectively identifying determinants of ILC homeostasis in primates and potential mechanisms underlying their depletion in HIV/SIV infection.
