Expression of concern

HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes traffic to lymph nodes and localize at sites of HIV-1 replication and cell death

Scott J. Brodie, Bruce K. Patterson, Deborah A. Lewinsohn, Kurt Diem, David Spach, Phillip D. Greenberg, Stanley R. Riddell and Lawrence Corey

Published May 1, 2008

Original citation: J. Clin. Invest. 105:1407–1417 (2000). doi:10.1172/JCI8707.

Citation for this expression of concern: J. Clin. Invest. 118:1974 (2008). doi:10.1172/JCI8707EX1.

In the issue of May 15, 2000, we published a study by Scott J. Brodie and colleagues. According to the report issued by John T. Slattery, Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Education at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, “Dr. Brodie was found to have falsified images that appeared as Figure 5A in the publication. These images respectively appeared in JCI as representing neomycin gene–marked CD8⁺ cells before patient infusions, with neo-positive cells showing yellow-red fluorescence and neo-negative cells being purple-blue; in one unfunded NIH grant application labeled as cells harboring HIV DNA (PCR in situ hybridization for gag DNA); and in a second unfunded NIH grant application as depicting alveolar macrophages from HIV+ persons treated with LPS, tuberculin or HIV tat protein-stain for viral RNA. The University’s investigative committee concluded that two or more of these images was falsified.”

There is an ongoing investigation into potential scientific misconduct in the performance of this study, reportedly by the Office of Research Integrity. We will inform our readers of the outcome of this investigation when it is complete.