Vaccine-induced T cells control reversion of AIDS virus immune escape mutants

Many current-generation human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines induce specific T cells to control acute viremia, but their utility following infection with escape mutant virus is unclear. We studied reversion to wild type of an escape mutant simian-HIV in major histocompatibility complex-matched vaccinated pigtail macaques. High levels of vaccine-induced CD8(+) T cells strongly correlated with maintenance of escape mutant virus during acute infection. Interestingly, in animals with lower CD8(+) T-cell levels, transient reversion to wild-type virus resulted in better postacute control of viremia. Killing of wild-type virus facilitated by transient reversion outweighs the benefit of a larger CD8(+) T-cell response that only maintains the less fit escape mutant virus. These findings have important implications for the further development of T-cell-based HIV vaccines where exposure to escape mutant viruses is common.