Poster Presentation 12th Australasian Virology Society Meeting 2024

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-1 (HIV-1) NEUTRALISATION PROFILES IN HIV-1 VIREMIA SUPPRESSED NEPALESE INDIVIDUALS (#117)

Anurag Adhikari 1 2 , Sauhardra Manandhar 3 , Gopiram (Shulav) Syangtan 3 , Manjula Bhattarai 3 , Purnima Shakya 4 , Lloyd D'Orsogna 5 , Stephanie Gras 1 2
  1. Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment (SABE), La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
  2. Infection and Immunity Program, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
  3. Department of Infection and Immunology, Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Lalitpur, Bagmati, Nepal
  4. Anti-retroviral Therapy Clinic, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
  5. Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

One of the major aims of HIV-1 vaccine research is to stimulate the generation of HIV-1-neutralising antibodies (nAbs), which can effectively hinder infection. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the induction and persistence of these nAbs in the plasma of HIV-1-infected individuals receiving uninterrupted antiretroviral therapy (uART) and who have been virologically suppressed since HIV-1 diagnosis. To assess the occurrence of HIV-1-neutralising antibodies, we carried out a study that involved the examination of plasma IgG-mediated neutralisation against a panel of 12 global HIV-1 pseudoviruses. This study was conducted with a cohort of 185 HIV-1 patients who were undergoing uART and had undetectable HIV-1 viremia at the time of sampling. Our preliminary findings show that 6.5% of total HIV-1 patients exhibited elite neutralising capabilities to neutralise all 12 global HIV-1 panels, while the overall mean neutralisation potency stood at 25%. Notably, individuals with CD4+ T cell counts below 200 cells/μL were significantly more likely to exhibit neutralisation function. In summary, our research underscores the importance of understanding the maintenance of HIV-1 nAbs in individuals under uART. Despite the historical prevalence of HIV-1 subtype C among Nepalese HIV-1 patients, neutralisation patterns exhibit diversity, potentially impacting vaccine development and the identification of elite neutralisers within the population.