Phenotypic analysis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 cell-mediated immune responses after treatment with an HIV-1 immunogen

It was hypothesized that immune recognition could be stimulated with combin ed immune-based and potent antiviral drug therapies. This study examined hu man immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific lymphocyte proliferation before and after treatment with an inactivated HIV-1 immunogen in 15 chron ically infected HIV-1 seropositive subjects. Lymphocyte proliferation to th e immunizing antigen (gp120-depleted HIV-1; P<.001), purified native p24 (P <.001), and recombinant p24 (P <.05) increased after treatment with the HI V-specific immune-based therapy. By HIV-1 antigen-specific flow cytometry, T helper CD4 lymphocytes, CD8 lymphocytes, and NK cells tall P<.001) were t he predominant cell types proliferating in vitro after treatment. Additiona l phenotyping of proliferating cells revealed predominantly CD4 and CD8 mem ory (both P<.001) phenotypes. This study supports the concept that in vitro lymphocyte proliferation to HIV-1 antigens, augmented after treatment with an inactivated HIV-1 immunogen, involves primarily CD4 and CD8 cell memory immune responses.