title: Reduced viral burden amongst high responder patients following HIV-1 p24 peptide-based therapeutic immunization.
abstract: We have previously shown that HIV p24-like peptides (Vacc-4x) via activation of skin dendritic cells induced immune responses in 90% of HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). These patients (n=38) were here subjected to a final 14-week interruption of HAART. Patients with the highest delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to Vacc-4x-peptides before treatment interruption tended to achieve lower actual HIV RNA levels at the end of the study compared to Vacc-4x DTH low-responders (p=0.08) and significantly so in terms of viral loads relative to their individual pre-HAART HIV RNA set-points (p=0.04). CD4+ lymphocyte counts were maintained only among DTH high responders but decreased in the other patients during recurrent viremia (p</=0.02). No other pre-study differences in HIV history or p24-responses were found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty Division Ullevaal University Hospital, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, NO-0407 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Anne-Marte B
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kran
authors.forename: Maja A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sommerfelt
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nyhus
authors.forename: Ingebjørg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baksaas
authors.forename: Johan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bruun
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kvale
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012367:RNA, Viral; C494182:Vacc-4x