Western Blot Banding Patterns of HIV Rapid Progressors in the U.S. Navy Seropositive Cohort: Implications for Vaccine Development

Although human immunodeficiency virus HIV infection is progressive, the rate of decline in CD4 lymphocyte counts varies. The role of the immune system components in limiting HIV infection has yet to be defined, but a previous report in the U.S. Navy HIV Seropositive Cohort reported that strong reactivity in the anti-p55 core precursor, p24 core and p53 reverse trascriptase Western blot bands was associated with higher CD4 lymphoycte counts at the first clinical evaluation for HIV. The previous report examined the cross-sectional association between Western blot banding patterns and initial CD4 lymphocyte counts. This report examines the association between these banding patterns in individuals who progressed rapidly as compared with patterns of patients who did not, based on their trends in repeated CD4 lymphocyte counts as a marker of progression. Rapid and slower progressors were identified from a cohort of 3414 Navy and Marine Corp personnel who had a first positive HIV Western blot during 1986-1991. For purposes of this study, rapid progressors were defined as individuals whose CD4 lymphocyte counts declined to 500 cellscubic mm within 1 year of seroconversion.