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Relative resistance to HIV–1 infection of CD4 lymphocytes from persons who remain uninfected despite multiple high–risk sexual exposures

Abstract

Some individuals remain uninfected with human immunodeficiency virus type–1 (HIV–1) despite multiple high–risk sexual exposures. We studied a cohort of 25 subjects with histories of multiple high–risk sexual exposures to HIV–1 and found that their CD8+ lymphocytes had greater anti–HIV–1 activity than did CD8+; lymphocytes from nonexposed controls. Further studies indicated that their purified CD4+; lymphocytes were less susceptible to infection with multiple primary isolates of HIV–1 than were CD4+; lymphocytes from the nonexposed controls. This relative resistance to HIV–1 infection did not extend to T–cell line–adapted strains, was restricted by the envelope glycoprotein, was not explained by the cell surface density of CD4 molecules, but was associated with the activity of the C–C chemokines RANTES, MIP–1α, and MIP–1β. This relative resistance of CD4+; lymphocytes may contribute to protection from HIV–1 in multiply exposed persons.

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Paxton, W., Martin, S., Tse, D. et al. Relative resistance to HIV–1 infection of CD4 lymphocytes from persons who remain uninfected despite multiple high–risk sexual exposures. Nat Med 2, 412–417 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0496-412

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