title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Division, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezza
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fiorelli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dorrucci
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciccozzi
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tripiciano
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scoglio
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Collacchi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Alvarez
authors.forename: Concettina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannetto
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomasoni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sciandra
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinicco
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ensoli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buttò
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ensoli
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015696:Gene Products, tat; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus