Elite control of HIV infection: implications for vaccine design.
BACKGROUND
'Elite controllers' are rare HIV-infected individuals who are able to spontaneously control HIV replication without medication, maintaining viral loads that are consistently below the limits of detection by currently available commercial assays.


OBJECTIVE
To examine studies of elite controllers that may elucidate mechanisms of HIV immune control useful in designing a vaccine.


METHODS
Recent literature on HIV controllers and studies that have evaluated aspects of viral and host immunology that correlate with viral control are examined.


CONCLUSIONS
Although many elements of innate and adaptive immunity are associated with control of HIV infection, the specific mechanism(s) by which elite controllers achieve control remain undefined. Ongoing studies of elite controllers, including those examining host genetic polymorphisms, should facilitate the definition of an effective HIV-specific immune response and guide vaccine design.
Baker
B M
BM
Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
Block
B L
BL
Rothchild
A C
AC
Walker
B D
BD
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000071480:APOBEC-3G Deaminase; D000090103:Antiviral Restriction Factors; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase / Q000502:physiology; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000502:physiology; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D014779:Virus Replication
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000090103:Antiviral Restriction Factors; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; C042388:HLA-Bw4 antigen; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; C477346:TRIM5 protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D000071480:APOBEC-3G Deaminase; C464924:APOBEC3G protein, human; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase