Enhancement of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activities in HIV-infected asymptomatic patients given recombinant gp160 vaccine.

Twenty-six human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected asymptomatic patients with CD4+ lymphocytes > 400 per mm3 were randomly allocated to a range of doses of recombinant gp160 or a control (recombinant hepatitis B vaccine) on a double-blind basis. Each patient received an injection at 0, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks. Treatment assignments were decoded when all patients reached 28 weeks of the study period. HIV-1-specific CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activities were assessed in vitro before vaccination and 2 weeks after each injection. There were significant increases in major histocompatibility complex-restricted HIV-1 Env-specific CD4+ and CD8+ CTL activities in 18 of 21 gp160 vaccinees. No control-injected patients showed a significant change. Neither gp160 nor control recipients showed significant changes in HIV-1 Gag- and Pol-specific CTL activities. HIV-1 Env-specific CD4+ and CD8+ CTL precursor frequencies were also measured in three vaccinees before and at 24 weeks after vaccine was started. CTL precursor frequencies also increased in both CD4+ and CD8+ populations. This study shows that this gp160 vaccine is immunogenic in enhancing HIV-1 Env-specific cytotoxic T-cell-mediated immunity in HIV-seropositive individuals.