Objectives: To study the role of HIV-1 biological phenotype, viral loa
d and neutralizing antibodies in male-to-female heterosexual transmiss
ion of HIV-1. Methods: Seven transmitting and seven non-transmitting H
IV-l-seropositive heterosexual male index cases were included in the p
resent study. All couples had engaged in unprotected sex for a period
of over 1 year. Transmission was defined by the seroconversion of the
female sexual partner. Virus isolates were tested in MT-2 cells for re
plication and syncytia induction. HIV-1 RNA plasma load was measured b
y the branched DNA technique. Serum neutralizing activity to primary H
IV-1 isolates was tested by using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (
PBMC) as target cells. Results: Non-transmitting index cases had a low
er HIV-1 RNA concentration in plasma than transmitting index cases. No
n-transmitting index cases also tended to have serum neutralizing acti
vity with broad specificity and to have viruses with low replicative c
apacity, as characterized by 50% infectious dose titres in PBMC and by
the lack of MT-2 tropism. Conclusions: The results indicate that plas
ma viral-RNA load is a marker for transmission. Moreover, an interplay
between the host immune response and viral replication may modulate t
he level of viral load and thereby influence HIV-1 transmission.