In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections, host major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) genotypes have a great impact on viral replication and MHC-I-associated viral genome mutations are selected under CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell pressure.
We then discovered that vaccinated Chinese macaques developed a previously unrecognized class of non-cytolytic MHC-Ib/E-restricted CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells (or CD8<sup>+</sup> T-Regs) that suppressed the activation of SIV RNA-infected CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells and thereby inhibited the (activation-dependent) reverse transcription of the virus and prevented the establishment of SIV infection.
Multiple studies on human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection have indicated the association of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) genotypes with rapid or slow AIDS progression.