View All Abstracts for Session 61
336 Prolonged HAART and Therapeutic Vaccination with Canarypox vCP1452 and rgp160 Followed by Drug Cessation in Individuals Newly Infected with HIV-1
X. Jin*1, L. Zhang1, A. Hurley1, J. Binley1, V. Simon1, J. Murray2, S. Barsoum1, G. Deschenes1, J. Vanderhoeven1, C. Chung1, D. Schiller1, R. El Habib3, A. Perelson2, D. Ho1, and M. Markowitz1
1Aaron Diamond AIDS Res. Ctr., New York, NY, USA; 2Los Alamos Natl. Lab., New Mexico, USA; and 3Aventis Pasteur, Lyon, France
Background: HAART suppresses HIV replication in vivo in a majority of patients and results in significant clinical benefit. Nevertheless despite prolonged apparently suppressive therapy residual infectious virus remains. It has been suggested that adjunct immunotherapy in the form of vaccination with exogenous immunogens may provide additional virologic benefit when HAART is withdrawn. Here we describe the safety and immunogenicity of ALVAC 1452 with rgp160 in a cohort of newly HIV-1-infected subjects.
Methods: Twenty individuals were identified and treated with HAART within 120 days of acquiring HIV-1 infection. Fifteen of them were given canarypox vCP1452 and rgp160 vaccinations. The virologic and immunologic outcomes of vaccination and cessation of therapy were followed longitudinally in these patients.
Results: Thirteen of the 14 patients completed the vaccination had increased antibody response to gp120 and p24; 9 had augmentation in their T-cell proliferative responses to HIV antigens; 11 had increased HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. After cessation of therapy, 6 of 11 vaccinated subjects had maintained more than 1 log reduction in viremia levels from post discontinuation peak; in contrast, only 1 of 5 unvaccinated controls had similar viremia reduction.
Conclusions: Canarypox vCP1452 and rgp160 are safe and immunogenic to use in HAART treated patients. The clinical benefits of such adjunctive vaccines needs to be evaluated with larger controlled trials.
Contact Author about this Abstract
