Journal of Medical Virology· 2026Q1
B‐Cell Follicles in the Secondary Lymphatic Tissues Act as a Critical Microanatomical Niche for Sustained Viral Replication, Virus‐Host Interaction and Damage During Chronic SIV Infection of Rhesus Macaques
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
In chronically SIV-infected macaques, B-cell follicles, not T-cell zones, are the primary sites for sustained viral RNA replication and virus-host interaction, leading to significant follicular damage including hyperplasia, fibrosis, and germinal center disintegration.
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Key points
- SIV viral RNA (vRNA) is predominantly found within B-cell follicles in chronically infected macaques.
- T-cell zones show minimal presence of SIV vRNA.
- Chronic SIV infection causes significant damage to B-cell follicles, including hyperplasia, fibrosis, and germinal center disintegration.
- B-cell follicles serve as a critical niche for sustained viral replication and virus-host interaction.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Most people living with HIV-1 (HIV) are diagnosed during the chronic stage of infection, at which point viral setpoint has been established and a substantial immunopathologic damage in the secondary lymphatic tissues (LTs) has been induced. To better characterize virus-host interaction and immunopathologic damage in LTs, we investigated viral spatial distribution patterns and the corresponding LT structural alterations in SIV chronically infected rhesus macaques. Using RNAscope in-situ hybridization (RNAscope) and a combination of CODEX with RNAscope (Comb-CODEX-RNAscope), we demonstrated that in chronic infection, SIV viral RNA (vRNA) is predominantly resides within B-cell follicles with minimal presence in T-cell zones, and there is significant B-cell follicular damage, encompassing follicular hyperplasia, fibrosis, and disintegration of the germinal center. Our results reveal that the B-cell follicles act as a critical microanatomical niche for sustained viral replication, virus-host interaction and tissue damage during SIV chronic infection.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Medical Virology, 2026 · DOI ↗
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VirologyImmunology and Microbiology