The presence of anti-Tat antibodies is predictive of long-term nonprogression to AIDS or severe immunodeficiency: findings in a cohort of HIV-1 seroconverters.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 Tat protein plays a key role in the life cycle of the virus and in pathogenesis and is highly conserved among HIV subtypes. On the basis of this and of safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy findings in monkeys, Tat is being tested as a vaccine in phase 1 trials. Here, we evaluated the incidence and risk of progression to advanced HIV disease by anti-Tat serostatus in a cohort of 252 HIV-1 seroconverters. The risk of progression was lower in the anti-Tat-positive subjects than in the anti-Tat-negative subjects. Progression was faster in the persistently anti-Tat-negative subjects than in the transiently anti-Tat-positive subjects, and no progression was observed in the persistently anti-Tat-positive subjects.
Rezza
Giovanni
G
Epidemiology Division, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Fiorelli
Valeria
V
Dorrucci
Maria
M
Ciccozzi
Massimo
M
Tripiciano
Antonella
A
Scoglio
Arianna
A
Collacchi
Barbara
B
Ruiz-Alvarez
Maria
M
Giannetto
Concettina
C
Caputo
Antonella
A
Tomasoni
Lina
L
Castelli
Francesco
F
Sciandra
Mauro
M
Sinicco
Alessandro
A
Ensoli
Fabrizio
F
Buttò
Stefano
S
Ensoli
Barbara
B
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015696:Gene Products, tat; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus