Poliovirus vaccination responses in HIV-infected patients: correlation with T4 cell counts

HIV infection is known to impair both cellular and humoral immunity. The antibody levels to poliovirus were measured in 17 HIV-infected and 3 HIV-seronegative homosexual men before and after vaccination with enhanced inactivated poliovirus vaccine (eIPV). The subjects were tested for neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3; the number of peripheral blood T4 cells and lymphocyte responses after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen were measured. Before vaccination, all subjects demonstrated neutralizing antibodies to the three types of poliovirus. After eIPV administration, a rise in anti-poliovirus antibody titer was noted in subjects whose T4 cell count was greater than 200/ml, whereas the group with low T4 cell counts failed to respond. The response to eIPV immunization correlated with the number of circulating T4 cells and the mitogen-induced lymphocyte stimulation index.