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. 2009 Oct;81(10):1681-90.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.21565.

Immune activation and antibody responses in non-progressing elite controller individuals infected with HIV-1

Gonzalo Bello  1 , Carlos A Velasco-de-Castro, Vera Bongertz, Caio A Santos Rodrigues, Carmem B W Giacoia-Gripp, Jose H Pilotto, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Valdilea G Veloso, Mariza G Morgado
Affiliations

Immune activation and antibody responses in non-progressing elite controller individuals infected with HIV-1

Gonzalo Bello et al. J Med Virol. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

An extremely rare subset of patients infected with HIV-1 designated as "non-progressing elite controllers" appears to be able to maintain stable CD4(+) T-cell counts and a median plasma viremia below the detection limit of current ultrasensitive assays (<50-80 copies/ml of plasma) for >10 years in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Lymphocyte subsets (CD4(+), CD8(+)), immune activation markers (HLA-DR(+), CD38(+), Beta-2-microglobulin), and HIV-specific antibody responses were longitudinally examined in four non-progressing elite controllers over more than 5 years. Two control groups of seronegative healthy individuals and untreated patients infected with HIV-1 presenting detectable viremia were also included. None of the non-progressing elite controllers displayed the high T-cell activation levels generally seen in the seropositive individuals, keeping them within the normal range. Three non-progressing elite controllers showed no significant immune system abnormalities when compared to seronegative individuals, displaying a low proportion of HIV-1-specific binding antibodies and low avidity index, similar to those observed for individuals infected recently with HIV-1. One non-progressing elite controller exhibited CD8(+) T-cell counts and beta2-M levels above normal ranges and developed a low but "mature" (high-avidity) HIV-1-specific antibody response. Thus, the non-progressing elite controllers are able to maintain normal T-cell activation levels, which may contribute to prevent, or greatly reduce, the damage of the immune system typically induced by the HIV-1 over time. They are, however, immunologically heterogeneous and very low levels of antigen exposure seem to occur in these patients, sufficient for sustaining a low, but detectable, HIV-1-specific immunity.

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