Broad neutralizing antibody response and genetic variation in HIV-1 env genes in Koreans with primary HIV-1 infections

Abstract

To determine the neutralization profiles induced by HIV-1 Korean clade B, which has a monophyletic lineage and relative limited genetic diversity, we investigated the ability of HIV variants to elicit neutralizing antibodies in the immune response to primary infection. We selected seven Korean drug-naïve subjects with an HIV-1 primary infection and did pseudovirion-based neutralization assays using env genes of Korean HIV origin. The neutralizing antibody responses to the Korean clade B showed broad reactivity to subtype B but a highly subtype-specific pattern. The lengths of the amino acid sequences and the PNGS numbers in the V1-V5 region were positively correlated with neutralization. These results imply that the genetic characteristics of HIV-1 env may affect neutralizing antibody responses in HIV-1-infected individuals. This is the first report describing the relationship between neutralizing antibody responses and HIV-1 genetic characteristics in Korean subjects. It can be useful for developing AIDS vaccines against HIV-1 subtype B strains.

Neutralizing Antibody Responses and Evolution of the Viral Envelope in the Course of HIV-1 Korean Clade B Infection

“…Also, the neutralizing antibody responses to HIV-1 Korean clade B show broad reactivity to HIV-1 subtype B [8]. In order to develop effective, region-specific vaccines, understanding the limited genetic characteristics of Korean clade B might be advantageous to understanding how HIV elicits humoral immune responses.…”