METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE ABILITY OF HIV PATIENTS TO RESTRICT HIV REPLICATION

摘要

There are provided methods for evaluating the effectiveness of HIV therapies and vaccines and methods for assessing the ability of HIV patients to restrict virus replication. Upon restimulation of CD8+T cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a patient, proliferation of the CD8+T cells, the expression of perforin in these cells, and the cell cycle stage of these cells may be measured and used as in vitro markers for monitoring the patient's ability to restrict HIV replication and the effectiveness of the therapies and vaccines applied. Significant proliferation of CD8+T cell, the presence of perforin in these cells, and the ability of these cells to progress beyond the G1 stage signify the patient's ability to restrict HIV replication and a favorable effect of the therapies or vaccines. These methods may be advantageously applied in conjunction with other measurements of HIV specific immune response such as HLA tetramers.