Viral suppression of multiple escape mutants by de novo CD8⁺T cell responses in a human immunodeficiency virus-1 Infected elite suppressor

• Main Authors: Siliciano Robert F, Hegarty Robert W, O'Connell Karen A, Blankson Joel N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2011-08-01
• Series: Retrovirology
• Online Access: http://www.retrovirology.com/content/8/1/63

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Elite suppressors or controllers (ES) are HIV-1 infected patients who maintain undetectable viral loads without treatment. While HLA-B*57-positive ES are usually infected with virus that is unmutated at CTL epitopes, a single, dominant variant containing CTL escape mutations is typically seen in plasma during chronic infection. We describe an ES who developed seven distinct and rare escape variants at an HLA-B*57-restricted Gag epitope over a five year period. Interestingly, he developed proliferative, <it>de novo </it>CTL responses that suppressed replication of each of these variants. These responses, in combination with low viral fitness of each variant, may contribute to sustained elite control in this ES.</p>