Immunological and molecular correlates of protection against low dose rectal simian immunodeficiency virus challenges in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rhesus macaques. Immunological and molecular correlates of protection against low dose rectal simian immunodeficiency virus challenges in pe

The study was undertaken to define correlates of protection against repeated low dose rectal SIVmac251 challenges in rhesus macaques (RMs) vaccinated with two regimens. Two groups of six RMs were immunized with either the attenuated SIVdeltanef virus, which establishes a persistent low-level infection and induces protective immunity against high dose challenges with SIVmac, or with two doses of an AdHu5 vector expressing Gag of SIVmac239 (AdHu5gag), that was given at a two-month interval.