Long Term Non-Progressor Cohort (LTNP)
Approximately 5-10% of individuals with documented HIV-1 infection fail to experience CD4 T cell depletion, immunosuppression, and opportunistic infections after a decade of diagnosis. These individuals, designated long-term non-progressors (LTNP), are a heterogeneous group in which various genetic, immune and viral factors may delineate long-term prognosis. By recognizing the relative contribution of each of these factors to the LTNP phenotype, we can derive insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of HIV-1 disease and the protective mechanisms that prevent progression. Thus, we are conducting longitudinal, observational studies to examine immune responses in a cohort of LTNP. The goal of these studies is primarily to determine the role of virus-specific cytotoxic T cell lymphocyte (CTL) activity versus CCR5 expression on viral load, the role of T helper responses in sustaining CTL responses, the patterns of epitope recognition associated with alterations in viral load, and the viral load in mucosal compartments in comparison to peripheral blood. By understanding these mechanisms in LTNP, we can apply this knowledge to designing preventative measures against HIV-1 disease and progression.
Fast facts about the LTNP cohort:
-
All subjects in this study function as a cohort of immunologically stable HIV-infected control participants for assay development in vaccine studies
-
The original cohort of long-term non-progressors was initiated in 1997.
-
In 2008, a cohort of viremic controllers was added.
-
By the end of 2009, a group of progressors to be added to the cohort to allow better comparisons between data collected from LTNP and a population of HIV-infected individuals.
