[Frontiers in Bioscience 2, d401-416, August 15, 1997]

	[Frontiers in Bioscience 2, d401-416, August 15, 1997] Reprints PubMed CAVEAT LECTOR
	NATURAL IMMUNITY AGAINST HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSES: PROSPECTS FOR AIDS VACCINES Omar Bagasra and Muhammad Amjad The Dorrance H. Hamilton Laboratories, Section of Molecular Retrovirology, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical Collage, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust Street, Suite 329, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Received 6/18/97, Accepted 7/22/97 12. FACTORS WHICH INTERFERE IN THE ANTI-RETROVIRAL "MOLECULAR IMMUNITY" PATHWAYS If we have natural defenses against HIV-1 infection, why does infection with HIV-1 result in such devastating consequences for humans when several primates, including our closest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee, which carries genetically similar retrovirus, SIVcpz, is able to resist clinically significant infection with HIV-1 and SIVcpz ? There are two main possibilities. We believe that infection with HIV-1 in human (and other lentiviruses in primates) follows two possible outcomes: i) Initial single exposure to a very low dose of virus, resulting in "priming" of the hosts' "molecular immunity" and, subsequently arming the host defenses against that specific type of lentivirus. If exposed to high doses of virulent HIV-1, after a reasonable time (i.e. 1 week), host will be resistant to a subsequent infection. ii) Initial exposure with a high dose of HIV-1, or multiple exposure to smaller doses of HIV-1, before the completion of "priming phase", resulting in overwhelming of the host's 'molecular immunity mechanisms" resulting in "unprimed" host who will be susceptible to HIV-1 infection.

[Frontiers in Bioscience 2, d401-416, August 15, 1997]
Reprints
PubMed
CAVEAT LECTOR

NATURAL IMMUNITY AGAINST HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSES: PROSPECTS FOR AIDS VACCINES
Omar Bagasra and Muhammad Amjad
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Laboratories, Section of Molecular Retrovirology, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical Collage, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust Street, Suite 329, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Received 6/18/97, Accepted 7/22/97

12. FACTORS WHICH INTERFERE IN THE ANTI-RETROVIRAL "MOLECULAR IMMUNITY" PATHWAYS

If we have natural defenses against HIV-1 infection, why does infection with HIV-1 result in such devastating consequences for humans when several primates, including our closest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee, which carries genetically similar retrovirus, SIVcpz, is able to resist clinically significant infection with HIV-1 and SIVcpz ? There are two main possibilities. We believe that infection with HIV-1 in human (and other lentiviruses in primates) follows two possible outcomes:

i) Initial single exposure to a very low dose of virus, resulting in "priming" of the hosts' "molecular immunity" and, subsequently arming the host defenses against that specific type of lentivirus. If exposed to high doses of virulent HIV-1, after a reasonable time (i.e. 1 week), host will be resistant to a subsequent infection.

ii) Initial exposure with a high dose of HIV-1, or multiple exposure to smaller doses of HIV-1, before the completion of "priming phase", resulting in overwhelming of the host's 'molecular immunity mechanisms" resulting in "unprimed" host who will be susceptible to HIV-1 infection.