Correlates of Nontransmission in US Women at High Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection through Sexual Exposure

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 185; no. 4; pp. 428 - 438
• Main Authors: Skurnick, Joan H., Palumbo, Paul, DeVico, Anthony, Shacklett, Barbara L., Valentine, Fred T., Merges, Michael, Kamin-Lewis, Roberta, Mestecky, Jiri, Denny, Thomas, Lewis, George K., Lloyd, Joan, Praschunus, Robert, Baker, Amanda, Nixon, Douglas F., Stranford, Sharon, Gallo, Robert, Vermund, Sten H., Louria, Donald B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.02.2002; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - transmission; Adult; AIDS; Antibodies; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - virology; CD8 antigen; Chemokines - biosynthesis; Epidemiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV; HIV 1; HIV Antibodies - analysis; Human herpesvirus 2; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Major Articles; Male; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Sexual Behavior; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Viral antigens; Viral Load; Virology; Virus Replication; Viruses; HIV-1 virus; Retroviridae; Male; AIDS; Lentivirus; Epidemiology; Cell subpopulation; Sexual contact; Infection; Virus; Sensitivity resistance; Viral disease; T-Lymphocyte; Female; Human immunodeficiency virus; Transmission from man to man
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613; 1573-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/338830

Seventeen women who were persistently uninfected by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), despite repeated sexual exposure, and 12 of their HIV-positive male partners were studied for antiviral correlates of nontransmission. Thirteen women had ⩾1 immune response in the form of CD8 cell noncytotoxic HIV-1 suppressive activity, proliferative CD4 cell response to HIV antigens, CD8 cell production of macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, or ELISPOT assay for HIV-1-specific interferon-γ secretion. The male HIV-positive partners without AIDS had extremely high CD8 cell counts. All 8 male partners evaluated showed CD8 cell-related cytotoxic HIV suppressive activity. Reduced CD4 cell susceptibility to infection, neutralizing antibody, single-cell cytokine production, and local antibody in the women played no apparent protective role. These observations suggest that the primary protective factor is CD8 cell activity in both the HIV-positive donor and the HIV-negative partner. These findings have substantial implications for vaccine development.