Alexandra M. Ortiz
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View article: Oropouche virus efficiently replicates and is immunostimulatory in vivo in nonhuman primate species
Oropouche virus efficiently replicates and is immunostimulatory in vivo in nonhuman primate species Open
An Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak occurred in South America in 2024. The pathogenic potential and host immunological response of this emerging virus are largely unknown, as animal models have been poorly explored. We infected nonhuman pri…
View article: SARS-CoV-2 infection perturbs the gastrointestinal tract and induces modest microbial translocation across the intestinal barrier
SARS-CoV-2 infection perturbs the gastrointestinal tract and induces modest microbial translocation across the intestinal barrier Open
SARS-CoV-2 infects via the respiratory tract, but COVID-19 includes an array of non-respiratory symptoms, among them gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations such as vomiting and diarrhea. Here we investigated the GI pathology of SARS-CoV-2 in…
View article: Untangling the role of the microbiome across the stages of HIV disease
Untangling the role of the microbiome across the stages of HIV disease Open
Purpose of review The primate microbiome consists of bacteria, eukaryotes, and viruses that dynamically shape and respond to host health and disease. Understanding how the symbiotic relationship between the host and microbiome responds to …
View article: Immunotoxin-mediated depletion of Gag-specific CD8+ T cells undermines natural control of SIV
Immunotoxin-mediated depletion of Gag-specific CD8+ T cells undermines natural control of SIV Open
Antibody-mediated depletion studies have demonstrated that CD8+ T cells are required for effective immune control of SIV. However, this approach is potentially confounded by several factors, including reactive CD4+ T cell proliferation, an…
View article: SIV infection and ARV treatment reshape the transcriptional and epigenetic profile of naïve and memory T cells <i>in vivo</i>
SIV infection and ARV treatment reshape the transcriptional and epigenetic profile of naïve and memory T cells <i>in vivo</i> Open
Human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) are lentiviruses that reverse transcribe their RNA genome with subsequent integration into the genome of the target cell. How progressive infection and administration of antiretrovira…
View article: 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Treatment Induces Modest Immune Activation in Healthy Rhesus Macaques
2-Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Treatment Induces Modest Immune Activation in Healthy Rhesus Macaques Open
SIV infection of nonhuman primates is the principal model system for assessing HIV disease progression and therapeutic development. HPβCD has recently been incorporated as a solubilizing agent in coformulations of ARVs in SIV-infected nonh…
View article: Correction: Mitigation of endemic GI-tract pathogen-mediated inflammation through development of multimodal treatment regimen and its impact on SIV acquisition in rhesus macaques
Correction: Mitigation of endemic GI-tract pathogen-mediated inflammation through development of multimodal treatment regimen and its impact on SIV acquisition in rhesus macaques Open
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009565.].
View article: Host Genetics and Environment Shape the Composition of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Nonhuman Primates
Host Genetics and Environment Shape the Composition of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Nonhuman Primates Open
Our data point to the degree to which host genetics can influence GI microbiome composition and suggest, within primate species, that individual host genetics is unlikely to significantly alter the microbiome. These data are important for …
View article: Multiple modes of antigen exposure induce clonotypically diverse epitope-specific CD8+ T cells across multiple tissues in nonhuman primates
Multiple modes of antigen exposure induce clonotypically diverse epitope-specific CD8+ T cells across multiple tissues in nonhuman primates Open
Antigen-specific CD8 + T cells play a key role in the host’s antiviral response. T cells recognize viral epitopes via the T cell receptor (TCR), which contains the complementarity-determining region-3 (CDR3), comprising the variable, diver…
View article: Butyrate administration is not sufficient to improve immune reconstitution in antiretroviral-treated SIV-infected macaques
Butyrate administration is not sufficient to improve immune reconstitution in antiretroviral-treated SIV-infected macaques Open
Defective gastrointestinal barrier function and, in turn, microbial translocation have been identified as significant contributors to persistent inflammation in antiretroviral (ARV)-treated people living with HIV. Metabolic supplementation…
View article: The Vaginal Microbiome of Nonhuman Primates Can Be Only Transiently Altered to Become <i>Lactobacillus</i> Dominant without Reducing Inflammation
The Vaginal Microbiome of Nonhuman Primates Can Be Only Transiently Altered to Become <i>Lactobacillus</i> Dominant without Reducing Inflammation Open
NHPs have proven to be invaluable animal models for the study of many human infectious diseases. The use of NHPs to study the effect of the microbiome on disease transmission and susceptibility is limited due to differences between the nat…
View article: Mitigation of endemic GI-tract pathogen-mediated inflammation through development of multimodal treatment regimen and its impact on SIV acquisition in rhesus macaques
Mitigation of endemic GI-tract pathogen-mediated inflammation through development of multimodal treatment regimen and its impact on SIV acquisition in rhesus macaques Open
Here, we assessed the efficacy of a short-course multimodal therapy (enrofloxacin, azithromycin, fenbendazole, and paromomycin) to eliminate common macaque endemic pathogens (EPs) and evaluated its impact on gastrointestinal (GI) microbiot…
View article: Corrigendum to: Impact of Acute HIV Infection and Early Antiretroviral Therapy on the Human Gut Microbiome
Corrigendum to: Impact of Acute HIV Infection and Early Antiretroviral Therapy on the Human Gut Microbiome Open
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofz367.].
View article: Biomarkers of Cellular Stress Do Not Associate with sCD14 in Progressive HIV and SIV Infections in Vivo
Biomarkers of Cellular Stress Do Not Associate with sCD14 in Progressive HIV and SIV Infections in Vivo Open
Background: Microbial translocation occurs after damage to the structural and/or immunological barrier of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract into circulation. Microbial components that translocate from the lumen of the GI tract directly stimu…
View article: Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection of Rhesus Macaques Results in Delayed Zika Virus Clearance
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection of Rhesus Macaques Results in Delayed Zika Virus Clearance Open
Immunocompromised individuals often become symptomatic with infections which are normally fairly asymptomatic in healthy individuals. The particular mechanisms that underlie susceptibility to coinfections in human immunodeficiency virus (H…
View article: SIV-specific CD8+ T cells are clonotypically distinct across lymphoid and mucosal tissues
SIV-specific CD8+ T cells are clonotypically distinct across lymphoid and mucosal tissues Open
CD8+ T cell responses are necessary for immune control of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). However, the key parameters that dictate antiviral potency remain elusive, conceivably because most studies to date have been restricted to anal…
View article: Impact of Acute HIV Infection and Early Antiretroviral Therapy on the Human Gut Microbiome
Impact of Acute HIV Infection and Early Antiretroviral Therapy on the Human Gut Microbiome Open
Background Intestinal microbial dysbiosis is evident in chronic HIV-infected individuals and may underlie inflammation that persists even during antiretroviral therapy (ART). It remains unclear, however, how early after HIV infection gut d…
View article: Antiretroviral Therapy Administration in Healthy Rhesus Macaques Is Associated with Transient Shifts in Intestinal Bacterial Diversity and Modest Immunological Perturbations
Antiretroviral Therapy Administration in Healthy Rhesus Macaques Is Associated with Transient Shifts in Intestinal Bacterial Diversity and Modest Immunological Perturbations Open
Dysbiosis of the fecal microbiome is a common feature observed in ARV-treated people living with HIV. The degree to which HIV infection itself causes this dysbiosis remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that medications used to treat HIV i…
View article: Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infects Functionally Polarized Memory CD4 T Cells Equivalently <i>In Vivo</i>
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infects Functionally Polarized Memory CD4 T Cells Equivalently <i>In Vivo</i> Open
Functional perturbations of memory CD4 T cells have been suggested to underlie important aspects of HIV disease progression. However, the mechanisms underlying these perturbations remain unclear. Using a nonhuman primate model of HIV, we s…
View article: Microbial translocation
Microbial translocation Open
Insights into the source and identity of translocating microbes in lentiviral infections continue to enhance the development of adjunct therapeutics.
View article: Cytotoxic T Cell Functions Accumulate When CD4 Is Downregulated by CD4+ T Cells in African Green Monkeys
Cytotoxic T Cell Functions Accumulate When CD4 Is Downregulated by CD4+ T Cells in African Green Monkeys Open
African green monkeys (AGMs) are a natural host of SIV that do not develop simian AIDS. Adult AGMs naturally have low numbers of CD4+ T cells and a large population of MHC class II–restricted CD8αα T cells that are generated through CD4 do…
View article: Tissue-resident macrophages can contain replication-competent virus in antiretroviral-naive, SIV-infected Asian macaques
Tissue-resident macrophages can contain replication-competent virus in antiretroviral-naive, SIV-infected Asian macaques Open
SIV DNA can be detected in lymphoid tissue-resident macrophages of chronically SIV-infected Asian macaques. These macrophages also contain evidence of recently phagocytosed SIV-infected CD4+ T cells. Here, we examine whether these macropha…
View article: Analysis of the In Vivo Turnover of CD4+ T-Cell Subsets in Chronically SIV-Infected Sooty Mangabeys
Analysis of the In Vivo Turnover of CD4+ T-Cell Subsets in Chronically SIV-Infected Sooty Mangabeys Open
Aberrant turnover of memory CD4+ T-cells is central to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) progression. Understanding the relationship between the turnover of CD4+ subsets and immunological homeostasis during simian immunodeficiency …
View article: Gut-Resident Lactobacillus Abundance Associates with IDO1 Inhibition and Th17 Dynamics in SIV-Infected Macaques
Gut-Resident Lactobacillus Abundance Associates with IDO1 Inhibition and Th17 Dynamics in SIV-Infected Macaques Open
Gut microbes can profoundly modulate mucosal barrier-promoting Th17 cells in mammals. A salient feature of HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) immunopathogenesis is the loss of Th17 cells, which has been linked to increased activity of…
View article: Macrophages Are Phenotypically and Functionally Diverse across Tissues in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected and Uninfected Asian Macaques
Macrophages Are Phenotypically and Functionally Diverse across Tissues in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected and Uninfected Asian Macaques Open
Macrophages regulate tissue immunity, orchestrating the initiation and resolution of antimicrobial immune responses and repair of damaged tissue architecture. Their dysfunction can, thus, manifest in either pro- and anti-inflammatory respo…