A Phase I Evaluation of the Safety and Immunogenicity of Vaccination with Recombinant gp160 in Patients with Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Background. Despite multiple antiviral humoral and cellular immune responses, infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) results in a progressively debilitating disease. We hypothesized that a more effective immune response could be generated by postinfection vaccination with HIV-specific antigens. Methods. We performed a phase I trial of the safety and immunogenicity of a vaccine prepared from molecularly cloned envelope protein, gp160, in 30 volunteer subjects with HIV infection in Walter Reed stage 1 or 2. The vaccine was administered either on days 0, 30, and 120 or on days 0, 30, 60, 120, 150, and 180. HIV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses were measured; local and systemic reactions to vaccination, including general measures of immune function, were monitored. Results. In 19 of the 30 subjects both humoral and cellular immunity to HIV envelope proteins increased in response to vaccination with gp160. Seroconversion to selected envelope epitopes was observed, as were new T-cell...