Rev Variation during Persistent Lentivirus Infection
2011

Variation in Lentivirus Infection and Immune Evasion

Sample size: 2 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Susan Carpenter, Wei-Chen Chen, Karin S. Dorman

Primary Institution: Iowa State University

Hypothesis

Rev variation contributes to viral persistence and survival in the host.

Conclusion

The study found that genetic variation in the Rev protein of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) plays a significant role in immune evasion and viral persistence.

Supporting Evidence

  • Rev activity was significantly higher in one group of variants compared to another.
  • Genetic variation in Rev was linked to changes in viral replication and immune evasion.
  • Longitudinal studies showed that Rev variants evolved during disease progression.

Takeaway

Lentiviruses can change a lot over time, which helps them avoid being attacked by the immune system, making it hard to create vaccines.

Methodology

The study involved longitudinal analysis of Rev variants in experimentally infected horses and assessed their activity through transient expression assays.

Limitations

The study was limited to a small number of experimentally infected horses, which may not represent broader populations.

Participant Demographics

Two experimentally infected ponies were studied.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = 0.007

Statistical Significance

p < 0.0001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3390/v3010001

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication