Design:

Rabies vaccine was used as a T-cell-dependent neoantigen to investigate several aspects of the primary and booster immune response in vivo in HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral treatment.

Methods:

Study participants received rabies vaccination twice, within a 3-month interval. Serum samples were taken before and 1, 2 and 4 weeks after both vaccinations and 1 and 5 years after the primary vaccination. Antirabies antibodies [immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG subclasses, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM)] were determined; antibody avidity was measured after both vaccinations. T-cell subsets were characterized by flow cytometry.

Results:

Eighteen healthy controls and 30 HIV-infected adults, treated with HAART for almost 4 years, with a median CD4+ T-cell count of 537 cells/μl, were immunized. The postvaccination concentrations of antirabies IgG and IgM were significantly lower in HIV-infected individuals as compared with controls. Three T-cell-dependent processes, a true booster response, a class switch from IgM to IgG and avidity maturation were present in both healthy controls and HIV-infected individuals. Higher age was associated with lower postvaccination antirabies IgG and IgM titers. Five years after the primary vaccination, 63% of the HIV-infected individuals still had antibody titers above the protection threshold.

Conclusion:

Immune restoration in HIV-infected individuals treated with HAART, resulting in a CD4+ T-cell count greater than 500 cells/μl, is incomplete. However, the majority of HIV-infected individuals are capable of mounting a long-lasting immune response, including several pivotal T-cell-dependent processes, upon vaccination with a neoantigen such as the rabies vaccine.