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Epidemiologic and Biologic Characterization of a Cohort of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Highly Exposed, Persistently Seronegative Female Sex Workers in Northern Thailand

1999; Oxford University Press; Volume: 179; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/314556

1537-6613

Chris Beyrer, Andrew W. Artenstein, Sungwal Rugpao, Henry A. F. Stephens, Thomas C. VanCott, Merlin L. Robb, Maneerat Rinkaew, Deborah L. Birx, Chirasak Khamboonruang, Peter A. Zimmerman, Kenrad E. Nelson, Chawalit Natpratan,

HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions

Characterization of persons highly exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 who remain uninfected may help define protective immunity. Seventeen HIV-1—seronegative Thai female sex workers (CSWs) with epidemiologic evidence of exposure to HIV-1 were studied for humoral immune responses and phenotypic and genotypic analyses of HLA class I and CCR5 allelic profiles. Infected CSWs and low-risk HIV-1—seronegative Thai women were controls. Highly exposed, persistently seronegative (HEPS) CSWs did not differ from HIV-infected CSWs in HIV risks, condom use, or sexually transmitted diseases. Significant differences were seen in humoral immune responses: gp160-specific IgA responses were detected in cervicovaginal lavage fluids in 6 of 13 HEPS CSWs but 0 of 21 seronegative subjects. All women had wild-type CCR5. HEPS CSWs were more likely to have the HLA-B18 phenotype and genotype than were matched controls (corrected P = .018). Epidemiologic exposure to HIV-1 without apparent infection, an unusual distribution of HLA class I alleles, and HIV-1 gp160-specific IgA responses suggest a biologic basis for this phenomenon.