Evaluation of Different Parameters of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in HIV Serodiscordant Heterosexual Couples: Humoral Response Potentially Implicated in Modulating Transmission Rates
María Julia Ruiz,
Jimena Salido,
Lorena Abusamra,
Yanina Ghiglione,
Cintia Cevallos,
Gabriel Damilano,
Ana María Rodriguez,
César Trifone,
Natalia Laufer,
Luis D. Giavedoni,
Omar Sued,
Horacio Salomón,
María Magdalena Gherardi,
Gabriela Turk
Affiliations
María Julia Ruiz
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jimena Salido
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Lorena Abusamra
Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Yanina Ghiglione
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cintia Cevallos
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Gabriel Damilano
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ana María Rodriguez
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
César Trifone
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Natalia Laufer
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Luis D. Giavedoni
Department of Virology and Immunology, Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
Omar Sued
Fundación Huésped, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Horacio Salomón
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
María Magdalena Gherardi
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Gabriela Turk
CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida (INBIRS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
As the HIV/AIDS pandemic still progresses, understanding the mechanisms governing viral transmission as well as protection from HIV acquisition is fundamental. In this context, cohorts of HIV serodiscordant heterosexual couples (SDC) represent a unique tool. The present study was aimed to evaluate specific parameters of innate, cellular and humoral immune responses in SDC. Specifically, plasma levels of cytokines and chemokines, HIV-specific T-cell responses, gp120-specific IgG and IgA antibodies, and HIV-specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity were assessed in nine HIV-exposed seronegative individuals (ESN) and their corresponding HIV seropositive partners (HIV+-P), in eighteen chronically infected HIV subjects (C), nine chronically infected subjects known to be HIV transmitters (CT) and ten healthy HIV− donors (HD). Very low magnitude HIV-specific cellular responses were found in two out of six ESN. Interestingly, HIV+-P had the highest ADCC magnitude, the lowest IgA levels and the highest IgG/IgA ratio, all compared to CT. Positive correlations between CD4+ T-cell counts and both IgG/IgA ratios and %ADCC killing uniquely distinguished HIV+-P. Additionally, evidence of IgA interference with ADCC responses from HIV+-P and CT is provided. These data suggest for the first time a potential role of ADCC and/or gp120-specific IgG/IgA balance in modulating heterosexual transmission. In sum, this study provides key information to understand the host factors that influence viral transmission, which should be considered in both the development of prophylactic vaccines and novel immunotherapies for HIV-1 infection.