Journal article
Mechanisms of HIV non-progression; robust and sustained CD4 T-cell proliferative responses to p24 antigen correlate with control of viraemia and lack of disease progression after long-term transfusion-acquired HIV-1 infection
WB Dyer, JJ Zaunders, FF Yuan, B Wang, JC Learmont, AF Geczy, NK Saksena, DA McPhee, PR Gorry, JS Sullivan
Retrovirology | BMC | Published : 2008
Abstract
Background: Elite non-progressors (plasma viral load <50 copies/ml while antiretroviral naive) constitute a tiny fraction of HIV-infected individuals. After 12 years follow-up of a cohort of 13 long-term non-progressors (LTNP) identified from 135 individuals with transfusion-acquired HIV infection, 5 remained LTNP after 23 to 26 years infection, but only 3 retained elite LTNP status. We examined the mechanisms that differentiated delayed progressors from LTNP in this cohort. Results: A survival advantage was conferred on 12 of 13 subjects, who had at least one host genetic factor (HLA, chemokine receptor or TLR polymorphisms) or viral attenuating factor (defective nef) associated with slow p..
View full abstractGrants
Funding Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the long-term dedicated participation of the study subjects. Technical assistance was provided by Jie Liu, Ingrid Boehm and Kirsi Bourget (ARCBS). Anthony Kelleher provided a critical review of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Immunovirology Research Network, the Australian Centres for HIV and HCV Virology Research, and an NHMRC project grant (DAM). PRG is the recipient of an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council R. Douglas Wright Biomedical Career Development Award.