title: HIV Gag p24 specific responses secreting IFN-gamma and/or IL-2 in treatment-naïve individuals in acute infection early disease (AIED) are associated with low viral load.
abstract: HIV-specific immune responses in acute infection early disease (AIED) may be effective at controlling viral replication and in establishing viral load (VL) set point. However, evidence correlating the function and specificity of these responses with the VL set point is lacking. To address this issue, we screened cells from 59 treatment-naïve HIV infected individuals (33 in AIED and 26 progressors) for responses to the entire HIV proteome using a dual color ELISPOT assay detecting 3 functional lymphocyte populations: single IFN-gamma, dual IFN-gamma/IL-2 and single IL-2 secreting cells. Responses characterized by dual secreting cells contributed more to the HIV specific response in AIED versus chronic infection. Of responses directed to individual HIV gene products the magnitude and breadth of only Gag p24-specific responses for the 3 functional subsets were associated with lower concurrent or set point VL. Therefore the early appearance of broader and more intense Gag-p24-specific responses may be a determinant of subsequent VL.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal General Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ndongala
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peretz
authors.forename: Salix
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boulet
authors.forename: Mehrnoosh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doroudchi
authors.forename: Bader
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yassine-Diab
authors.forename: Mohamed-Rachid
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Boulassel
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Routy
authors.forename: Rafick-Pierre
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sékaly
authors.forename: Nicole F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Bernard
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D005260:Female; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D007376:Interleukin-2; C514799:p24 protein, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1; D007371:Interferon-gamma