Decay kinetics of HIV-1 specifict cell responses in vertically HIV-1 exposed seronegative infants

Abstract

Objective: The majority of infants born, in developed countries, to HIV-1 positive women are exposed to the HIV-1 virus inutero or peri/post-partum, but are born uninfected.We, and others, have previously shown HIV-1 specificT cell responses in HIV-1 exposed seronegative (HESN) neonates/infants. Our objective in this study was to examine the rate of decay in their HIV-1 specificT cell response over time from birth. Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of HIV-1 specificT cell responses in HESN infants were performed. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from 18 HIV-1 DNA PCR negative infants born to HIV-1 infected mothers receiving care at the Jacobi Me..