Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to canarypox vector-based HIV vaccines in HIV-seronegative individuals: a meta-analysis of published studies.
OBJECTIVE
A successful prophylactic HIV vaccine will probably require neutralizing antibodies and vigorous CTL (CD8+ T-cytotoxic lymphocyte) responses. Canarypox vector-based HIV vaccines (ALVAC-HIV) have been gaining momentum as promising HIV vaccine candidates because of their ability to elicit CTL responses. This quantitative meta-analysis was undertaken to determine a summary estimate of CTL responses to ALVAC-HIV vaccines in HIV-1 seronegative volunteers and to identify reasons for differences among studies in the estimated effects on CTL responses.


METHODS
After a literature search and data abstraction, eight randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were selected for meta-analysis. Stratified and random effects meta-regression analyses were performed to search for response differences among studies.


RESULTS
Of the various study characteristics, the number of immunizations and the vaccine dose were associated with the likelihood of developing CTL responses. It was not possible to distinguish the effect of either the number of immunizations or the vaccine dose on CTL responses because these two study characteristics were highly associated with each other.


CONCLUSIONS
More trials are warranted to determine the ideal dose/immunization schedule that would elicit maximal CTL responses.
Edupuganti
Srilatha
S
School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7040, USA. sreeram@med.unc.edu
Weber
David
D
Poole
Charles
C
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D028121:Canarypox virus / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; C106488:ALVAC-HIV-1 vCP250