Autologous neutralizing humoral immunity and evolution of the viral envelope in the course of subtype B human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

ABSTRACT: Most human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals develop an HIV-specific neutralizing antibody (NAb) response that selects for escape variants of the virus. Here, we studied autologous NAb responses in five typical CCR5-using progressors in relation to viral NAb escape and molecular changes in the viral envelope (Env) in the period from seroconversion until after AIDS diagnosis. In sera from three patients, high-titer neutralizing activity was observed against the earliest autologous virus variants, followed by declining humoral immune responses against subsequent viral escape variants. Autologous neutralizing activity was undetectable in sera from two patients. Patients with high-titer neutralizing activity in serum showed the strongest positive selection pressure on

SUBMITTER: Bunnik EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2519599 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature