Human Immunode®ciency Virus Type 1 and Mucosal Humoral Defense

Mucosal sites serve as the principle venues through which primary human immunode®ciency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections are transferred from donor to host. These moist tissues, which provide the interface with the external environment, also provide access to many of the sec-ondary opportunistic infections that aggravate and may accelerate HIV-1 disease. Antibodies to HIV-1, particularly of the IgG rather than the IgA class, have been detected in virtually all mucosal ¯uids from HIV-1±infected patients. However, the ability of such patients to generate de novo humoral responses to new mucosal pathogens is impaired. Current studies are directed to characterizing the functional role of natural and infection-derived antibodies in control of HIV-1 infection as well as the impact of HIV-1 disease on mucosal B cell responses to immunization and infection. The pathogenesis and natural history of infections with hu-man immunode®ciency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are integrally re-lated to mucosal tissues. Worldwide, primary transmission of most HIV-1 infections to heterosexual men and women, to ho-mosexual and bisexual men, and from mother to child afte