Response to STI is determined by virus rather than immunological response

1 September 2003. Related: Conference reports, Drug resistance, Intl Drug Resistance Workshop 12 Mexico 2003.

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

Important findings may explain the different responses that have been reported following treatment interruptions and the results appear to have little to do with the immunological effects that were being closely studied.

Important findings may explain the different responses that have been reported following treatment interruptions and the results appear to have little to do with the immunological effects that were being closely studied.

Low pretreatment env diversity in patients controlling viraemia after STI suggests that those viral characteristics were not influenced by STI but were already present years before any therapy was started.

The researchers analysed viral isolates taken from 20 chronically infected patients participating in the Swiss-Spanish Intermittent Therapy Trial (SSITT) which had previously reported no cumulative benefit from several planned treatment breaks. This analysis found that SSITT-baseline neutralising activity but not HIV-specific CTL- or T-help responses were associated with control of viraemia.

Reference:

Günthard H, Joos B, Kuster H et al. Virus characteristics predict viraemia control after cessation of antiretroviral therapy. XII International HIV Drug Resistance Workshop, Los Cabos, Mexico, 10-14 June 2003. Abstract 56. Published as part of Antiviral Therapy Volume 8 Issue 3.