Modulation of Vaccine-induced CD4 T Cell Functional Profiles by Changes in Components of HIV Vaccine Regimens in Humans.

To date, six vaccine strategies have been evaluated in clinical trials for their efficacy at inducing protective immune responses against HIV infection. However, only the ALVAC-HIV/AIDSVAX B/E vaccine (RV144 trial) has demonstrated protection, albeit modestly (31%; P = 0.03). One potential correlate of protection was a low-frequency HIV-specific CD4 T cell population with diverse functionality…

Antigen-specific antibody Fc glycosylation enhances humoral immunity via the recruitment of complement.

HIV-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) confer protection after passive immunization, but the immunological mechanisms that drive their development are poorly understood. Structural features of bNAbs indicate that they originate from extensive germinal center (GC) selection, which relies on persistent GC activity…

Distinct biomarker signatures in HIV acute infection associate with viral dynamics and reservoir size.

Estimating the size of the viral reservoir is critical for HIV cure strategies. Biomarkers in peripheral circulation may give insights into the establishment of the viral reservoir in compartments not easily accessible. We therefore measured systemic levels of 84 soluble biomarkers belonging to a broad array of immune pathways in acute HIV infection in both antiretroviral therapy-naive (ART-naive) individuals as well as individuals who began ART upon early detection of HIV infection…

Limited immune surveillance in lymphoid tissue by cytolytic CD4+ T cells during health and HIV disease.

CD4+ T cells subsets have a wide range of important helper and regulatory functions in the immune system. Several studies have specifically suggested that circulating effector CD4+ T cells may play a direct role in control of HIV replication through cytolytic activity or autocrine β-chemokine production…

Transcriptomic signatures of NK cells suggest impaired responsiveness in HIV-1 infection and increased activity post-vaccination.

Natural killer (NK) cells limit viral replication by direct recognition of infected cells, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and releasing cytokines. Although growing evidence supports NK cell antiviral immunity in HIV-1 infection, further knowledge of their response is necessary…

Temporal variation in HIV-specific IgG subclass antibodies during acute infection differentiates spontaneous controllers from chronic progressors.

Given the emerging appreciation for the role of antibody-dependent effector functions and IgG subclass distribution among spontaneous controllers of HIV, we sought to determine whether antibody-associated features diverged in early HIV infection between patients who ultimately became controllers versus those who became progressors…