Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Peptide-based Identification of Functional Motifs and their Binding Partners
Published on: June 30, 2013
Antibody-dependent effector functions against HIV decline in subjects receiving antiretroviral therapy
Vijaya Madhavi1, Fernanda E Ana-Sosa-Batiz1, Sinthujan Jegaskanda1
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville.
Background:
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively controls human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but does not eliminate HIV, and lifelong treatment is therefore required. HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses decline following cART initiation. Alterations in other HIV-specific immune responses that may assist in eliminating latent HIV infection, specifically antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent phagocytosis (ADP), are unclear.
Methods:
A cohort of 49 cART-naive HIV-infected subjects from Thailand (mean baseline CD4 count, 188 cells/µL; mean viral load, 5.4 log10 copies/mL) was followed for 96 weeks after initiating cART. ADCC and ADP assays were performed using serum samples obtained at baseline and after 96 weeks of cART.
Results:
A 35% reduction in HIV type 1 envelope (Env)-specific ADCC-mediated killing of target cells (P<.001) was observed after 96 weeks of cART. This was corroborated by a significant reduction in the ability of Env-specific ADCC antibodies to activate natural killer cells (P<.001). Significantly reduced ADP was also observed after 96 weeks of cART (P=.018).
Conclusions:
This longitudinal study showed that cART resulted in significant reductions of HIV-specific effector antibody responses, including ADCC and ADP. Therapeutic vaccines or other immunomodulatory approaches may be required to improve antibody-mediated control of HIV during cART.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency...
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Humoral Immune Responses

