11th Annual Conference Of The British HIV Association [BHIVA]


20–23 April 2005, Burlington Hotel·Dublin·Ireland

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[TITLE:] THERAPEUTIC VACCINATION WITH HIV-1 WHOLE KILLED VACCINE IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMMUNE MODULATION IN HAART-NAÏVE, ASYMPTOMATIC HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS

[AUTHOR(S):] A Gori1, D Trabattoni1, G Rizzardini2, R Maserati3, F Mazzotta4, G Theofan5, DH Bray6, M Clerici1, G Marchetti
1University Milano, Milano, Italy, 2H di Circolo, Busto Arsizio, Italy, 3H S Matteo, Pavia, Italy, 4H SS Annunziata, Firenze, Italy, 5The Immune Response Corp, Carlsbad, CA, United States, 6MRC, London, UK

BHIVA Conf 2005 Apr 20-23;11:O20

BACKGROUND: Use of agents increasing natural immune response to HIV to delay initiation of antiretroviral therapy is being considered. Immunogenicity of REMUNE®, a gp120-depleted, whole-killed HIV-1 vaccine consisting of HIV antigen in Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (IFA), was assessed in antiretroviral-naïve HIV-1 infected subjects.

METHODS: HAART-naïve asymptomatic subjects with HIV-1 RNA 10,000-40,000 copies/mL and CD4 400-800 cells/ul received three injections of REMUNE® (N=19) IFA (n=11), or saline (n=10) at weeks 0, 12, and 24.

RESULTS: Median absolute CD4 counts remained stable through week 28 in REMUNE® patients (baseline=534 cells/ul; week 28=560 cells/ul) but declined in both saline (baseline=497 cells/ul; week 28=388 cells/ul) and IFA (baseline=549 cells/ul; week 28=431 cells/ul) treated subjects. Possible effect of REMUNE® on thymopoiesis was evidenced by increases in naïve (CCR7+/RA+), central memory (CCR7+/RA-) CD4 T cells, serum IL-7 and decrease in effector memory (CCR7-/RA-) CD4 T cells in the REMUNE® group. These changes were not observed in saline or IFA subjects. HIV specific CD8+ IL10-producing T cells (ICC) were diminished at week 28 in REMUNE® patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Immunotherapy with REMUNE® may be associated with changes in circulating lymphocytes phenotype and reduction of type 2 cytokines. Data from larger cohorts of patients is required to assess clinical significance.

PRESENTING AUTHOR: G Marchetti

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2005-04-20
O20

Copyright © 2005 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD