HIV Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about HIV, including details on human immunodeficiency virus, testing, treatment, prevention, vaccines, aids. | ||||||||
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Correlation between immunologic responses to a recombinant glycoprotein 120 vaccine and incidence of HIV-1 infection in a phase 3 HIV-1 preventive vaccine trial.Gilbert PB, Peterson ML, Follmann D, Hudgens MG, Francis DP, Gurwith M, Heyward WL, Jobes DV, Popovic V, Self SG, Sinangil F, Burke D, Berman PW Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. BACKGROUND: An objective of the first efficacy trial of a candidate vaccine containing recombinant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 envelope glycoprotein 120 (rgp120) antigens was to assess correlations between antibody responses to rgp120 and the incidence of HIV-1 infection. METHODS: Within the randomized trial (for vaccinees, n=3598; for placebo recipients, n=1805), binding and neutralizing antibody responses to rgp120 were quantitated. A case-cohort design was used to study correlations between antibody levels and HIV-1 incidence. RESULTS: Peak antibody levels were significantly inversely correlated with HIV-1 incidence. The relative risk (RR) of infection was 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.89) per log(10) higher neutralization titer against HIV-1(MN), and the RRs of infection for second-, third-, and fourth-quartile responses of antibody blocking of gp120 binding to soluble CD4 versus first-quartile responses (the lowest responses) were 0.35, 0.28, and 0.22, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite inducing a complex, robust immune response, the vaccine was unable to reduce the incidence of HIV-1. Two interpretations of the correlative results are that the levels of antibodies (i) caused both an increased (low responders) and decreased (high responders) risk of HIV-1 acquisition or (ii) represented a correlate of susceptibility to HIV-1 but had no causal effect on susceptibility. Although the data cannot definitively discriminate between these 2 explanations, (ii) appears to be more likely. Published 2 February 2005 in J Infect Dis, 191(5): 666-77.
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