PIC 024-4 and PRO 2000 are naphthalene sulfonate polymers that bind to CD4 with nanomolar affinity and block binding of gp120. Both have activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in H9 cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and primary monocyte/macrophages, are synergistic with zidovudine, and do not inhibit tetanus toxoid-stimulated T-cell proliferation at anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 concentrations.

Immunologic and virologic outcomes of treatment interruption were compared for 5 chronically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons who have maintained antiretroviral therapy-mediated virus suppression, as compared with 5 untreated controls. After a median interruption of 55 days of therapy accompanied by rebound of virus, reinitiated therapy in 4 of 5 subjects resulted in suppression of 98.86% of plasma virus load by 21-33 days and no significant decrease in CD4 T cell percentage from baseline. Increased T helper responses against HIV-1 p24 antigen (P=. 014) and interferon-gamma-secreting CD8 T cell responses against HIV-1 Env (P=.004) were present during interruption of therapy and after reinitiation of treatment. The remaining subject whose treatment was interrupted did not resume treatment and continued to have a low virus load (<1080 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL) and persistent antiviral cell-mediated responses. In summary, cellular immunity against autologous HIV-1 has the potential to be acutely augmented in association with temporary treatment interruption in chronically infected persons.

Two- and three-drug combinations of lamivudine or stavudine with other antiretroviral drugs were evaluated for activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Other agents included zidovudine, didanosine, nevirapine, and saquinavir. Paired zidovudine-sensitive and -resistant clinical HIV-1 isolates were used. Additive or synergistic interactions were observed against the zidovudine-sensitive isolate with the following combinations: lamivudine-zidovudine, lamivudine-stavudine, lamivudine-saquinavir, lamivudine-nevirapine, stavudine-zidovudine, stavudine-didanosine, stavudine-saquinavir, stavudine-nevirapine, lamivudine-zidovudine-saquinavir, lamivudine-zidovudine-stavudine, stavudine-zidovudine-nevirapine, lamivudine-zidovudine-nevirapine, and stavudine-zidovudine-saquinavir. Against the zidovudine-resistant isolate, additive or synergistic interactions were seen with most two- and three-drug combinations, but the combination of stavudine-zidovudine was antagonistic. The clinical implications of these in vitro observations should be explored.

Th1 and Th2 cells differ in their infection efficiency for R5 and X4 HIV-1. ccr5 Delta 32-homozygous individuals maintain the ability for Th1/Th2 polarization, i.e., the expression of CCR5 is not required for Th1/Th2 polarization.