title: Epidemiologic and biologic characterization of a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 highly exposed, persistently seronegative female sex workers in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai HEPS Working Group.
abstract: Characterization of persons highly exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 who remain uninfected may help define protective immunity. Seventeen HIV-1-seronegative Thai female sex workers (CSWs) with epidemiologic evidence of exposure to HIV-1 were studied for humoral immune responses and phenotypic and genotypic analyses of HLA class I and CCR5 allelic profiles. Infected CSWs and low-risk HIV-1-seronegative Thai women were controls. Highly exposed, persistently seronegative (HEPS) CSWs did not differ from HIV-infected CSWs in HIV risks, condom use, or sexually transmitted diseases. Significant differences were seen in humoral immune responses: gp160-specific IgA responses were detected in cervicovaginal lavage fluids in 6 of 13 HEPS CSWs but 0 of 21 seronegative subjects. All women had wild-type CCR5. HEPS CSWs were more likely to have the HLA-B18 phenotype and genotype than were matched controls (corrected P=.018). Epidemiologic exposure to HIV-1 without apparent infection, an unusual distribution of HLA class I alleles, and HIV-1 gp160-specific IgA responses suggest a biologic basis for this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Division of Retrovirology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Bethesda, MD, USA. cbeyrer@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyrer
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Artenstein
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rugpao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: VanCott
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinkaew
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Birx
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khamboonruang
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Natpratan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000378:metabolism; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011477:Sex Work; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory