Maintenance of HIV-Specific Memory B-Cell Responses in Elite Controllers Despite Low Viral Burdens.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific B-cell responses in infected individuals are maintained by active HIV replication. Suppression of viremia by antiretroviral therapy (ART) leads to quantitative and qualitative changes that remain unclear. Accordingly, B-cell responses were investigated in elite controllers (ECs), who maintain undetectable HIV levels without ART, and in individuals whose viremia was suppressed by ART. Despite a higher HIV burden in the ART group, compared with the EC group, frequencies of HIV-specific B cells were higher in the EC group, compared with those in the ART group. However, the initiation of ART in several ECs was associated with reduced frequencies of HIV-specific B cells, suggesting that responses are at least in part sustained by HIV replication. Furthermore, B-cell responses to tetanus toxin but not influenza hemagglutinin in the ART group were lower than those in the EC group. Thus, the superior HIV-specific humoral response in ECs versus ART-treated individuals is likely due to a more intact humoral immune response in ECs and/or distinct responses to residual HIV replication.
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Clarisa M
CM
Buckner
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Lela
L
Kardava
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Xiaozhen
X
Zhang
Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda.
Kathleen
K
Gittens
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
J Shawn
JS
Justement
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto Maple Leaf Medical Clinic, Toronto, Canada.
Colin
C
Kovacs
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Adrian B
AB
McDermott
Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville.
Yuxing
Y
Li
Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Department of Medicine, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Maryland.
Mohammad M
MM
Sajadi
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Tae-Wook
TW
Chun
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Anthony S
AS
Fauci
Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
Susan
S
Moir
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D015483:HIV Antibodies
B cells; HIV; elite controllers; humoral immunity; viremia