title: Vaccine-induced T cells control reversion of AIDS virus immune escape mutants.
abstract: Many current-generation human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines induce specific T cells to control acute viremia, but their utility following infection with escape mutant virus is unclear. We studied reversion to wild type of an escape mutant simian-HIV in major histocompatibility complex-matched vaccinated pigtail macaques. High levels of vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells strongly correlated with maintenance of escape mutant virus during acute infection. Interestingly, in animals with lower CD8+ T-cell levels, transient reversion to wild-type virus resulted in better postacute control of viremia. Killing of wild-type virus facilitated by transient reversion outweighs the benefit of a larger CD8+ T-cell response that only maintains the less fit escape mutant virus. These findings have important implications for the further development of T-cell-based HIV vaccines where exposure to escape mutant viruses is common.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, and Department of Haematology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Miranda Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: C Jane
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Batten
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Rose
authors.forename: Jeanette C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rollman
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venturi
authors.forename: Miles P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kent
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D008254:Macaca nemestrina; D009154:Mutation; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D014766:Viremia
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines