Neutralizing antibodies as a potential secondary protective mechanism during chronic SHIV infection in CD8+ T-cell-depleted macaques

Abstract

The results indicate that CD8+ T cells play a key role in suppressing viremia in a chronically infected host. In addition, the results suggest that in the absence of CD8+ T cells, nAb may act as an effective second line of defense by limiting both the spread of infectious virus to new target cells and CD4+ T-cell loss.