TI   ""Renegade" HIV Immunity Hypothesis Gains Momentum"
 AU   Horton, Richard
 SO   Lancet (12/18/93-12/25/93) Vol. 342, Nos. 8886 & 8887, P. 1544
 AB   American AIDS researchers face a dilemma.  Recent evidence   suggests
      that billions of dollars spent developing vaccines based on HIV
      envelope proteins may have been wasted as scientists abandon these
      candidates in favor of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) approaches.  Gene
      Shearer of the National Cancer Institute recently presented results
      which imply that individuals exist who have been exposed to HIV, but
      remain seronegative.  Shearer offers four possible explanations. 
      First, there never was an infection, so CMI is irrelevant.  Second,
      there was infection, but the virus died.  Third, virus was present,
      but was destroyed through cell-mediated immunity.  Finally, CMI
      controlled viral infection.  Shearer concluded that previous exposure
      to small doses of the AIDS virus shields against infectious inoculums
      of virus through CMI.  These conclusions were supported by evidence
      from a recombinant gp160 trial indicating that low-dose antigen
      exposure selectively activates CMI and not antibody production.
      Shearer further determined that strong CMI combined with a dominant
      type I cytokine profile, is critical in delaying progression to AIDS.

      Copyright (c) 1993 - Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD.  This
      information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control &
      Prevention (CDC), National AIDS Clearinghouse as a public service. 
      Non-profit reproduction is encouraged.

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