Broadly neutralizing plasma antibodies effective against autologous circulating viruses in infants with multivariant HIV-1 infection

Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 2;11(1):4409. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18225-x.

Abstract

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) develop in a subset of HIV-1 infected individuals over 2-3 years of infection. Infected infants develop plasma bnAbs frequently and as early as 1-year post-infection suggesting factors governing bnAb induction in infants are distinct from adults. Understanding viral characteristics in infected infants with early bnAb responses will provide key information about antigenic triggers driving B cell maturation pathways towards induction of bnAbs. Herein, we evaluate the presence of plasma bnAbs in a cohort of 51 HIV-1 clade-C infected infants and identify viral factors associated with early bnAb responses. Plasma bnAbs targeting V2-apex on the env are predominant in infant elite and broad neutralizers. Circulating viral variants in infant elite neutralizers are susceptible to V2-apex bnAbs. In infant elite neutralizers, multivariant infection is associated with plasma bnAbs targeting diverse autologous viruses. Our data provides information supportive of polyvalent vaccination approaches capable of inducing V2-apex bnAbs against HIV-1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • HIV Antibodies / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / immunology*
  • HIV-1 / immunology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
  • Male
  • Vaccination
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • HIV Antibodies
  • env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus