No differences in cellular immune responses between asymptomatic HIV type 1- and type 2-infected Gambian patients.
Jaye, Assan;
Sarge-Njie, Ramu;
Schim van der Loeff, Maarten;
Todd, Jim;
Alabi, Abraham;
Sabally, Shehu;
Corrah, Tumani;
Whittle, Hilton;
(2004)
No differences in cellular immune responses between asymptomatic HIV type 1- and type 2-infected Gambian patients.
The Journal of infectious diseases, 189 (3).
pp. 498-505.
ISSN 0022-1899
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/381185
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Fewer people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 2 progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, compared with those infected with HIV-1. To understand the immune mechanisms leading to slow progression in HIV-2 infection, cell-mediated immune responses were compared between the 2 infections in asymptomatic subjects with a CD4 cell count > or =20%. Interferon- gamma release from T lymphocytes and the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T lymphocytes were measured by ELISPOT and 51Cr release assays. The level of responses and the proportion of responders were similar in the 2 infections, despite a 20-fold difference in their geometric mean plasma virus loads. The proliferation of CD4+ T helper cells, which was evaluated by thymidine incorporation, was not different between the 2 infections. Contrary to widely held views, our results suggest that nonprogression in HIV-2 infection may not be due to more vigorous immune responses.
