Infection of gut-resident CD4+ memory T cells during acute human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection is associated with rapid loss of
these cells and damage to the epithelial barrier. Damage to the epithelial barrier allows
translocation of microbial products from the intestinal lumen into the body. Immune activation
caused by these microbial products has been associated with disease progression.
Although microbial translocation has been demonstrated in SIV-infected nonhuman …