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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Humanized NOD/SCID/IL2rγnull (hu-NSG) Mouse Model for HIV Replication and Latency Studies
Published on: January 7, 2019
SARS-CoV-2 variant specific protective immunity and long-term immune recovery in people living with HIV: a
Qingqing Ma1, Linhong Yao2, Haibo Ding2
1State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Research Unit of Medical Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Objectives:
Effective cross-variant immunity is critical for people living with HIV (PLWH) exposed to evolving SARS-CoV-2 strains. This study investigated variant-specific humoral immune responses and their association with disease progression among PLWH following Omicron BA.5.2/BF.7 breakthrough infection.
Methods:
A total of 455 PLWH and 91 people without HIV (PWOH) were recruited during the Omicron BA.5.2/BF.7 outbreak in China, with peripheral blood samples collected 3-6 months post-infection, followed by a one-year clinical follow-up. Neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels against 19 SARS-CoV-2 variants were measured using a multiplex bead-based flow cytometry assay.
Results:
In the overall cohort, PLWH generated broadly reactive NAbs, but at lower levels than PWOH with matched infection and vaccination status. Wild-type vaccination enhanced NAbs against pre-Omicron and early-Omicron variants, but neutralizing activity against late-Omicron variants remained weak. Serotype analysis confirmed that PLWH with CD4+ T-cell counts < 350 cells/μL exhibited lower NAb titers and diversity, and the JN.1 variant displayed a distinct serotype prior to its global outbreak. Baseline NAb levels against late Omicron variants predicted CD4+ T-cell recovery at 1-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
These results provide experimental evidence that may inform the clinical management of PLWH during future SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks and provide insights into the predictive value of neutralizing antibodies for long-term immune recovery.
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