Immunologic and Virologic Response in HIV Infected Progressors After Infusion of Lymphocytes From HIV Infected "Elite" Long-Term Non-Progressors

Some HIV-infected individuals have a white blood cell marker known as HLA-B*57 that appears to help control the progress of the disease; however, not all who have the HLA-B*57 marker are able to control the infection. This study will examine the effects of giving white blood cells with HLA-B*57 from an individual who controls HIV infection to an individual who cannot control HIV infection, as a form of HIV treatment. All candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, and blood and urine tests.

Both donor and recipient volunteers must be HIV-positive individuals 18 years of age or older who have the HLA-B*57 marker and are receiving care. Donor candidates must have positive HIV antibody tests for at least seven years with a recent CD4 cell count greater than 400 cells/mm?, HIV viral load less than 50 copies/mL, and no previous HIV viral load greater than 1,000 copies/mL. Recipient candidates must have positive HIV antibody tests with a recent CD4 cell count less than 400 cells/mm? and HIV viral load greater than 10,000 copies/mL, and must have failed at least two prior combination antiretroviral regimes and are willing to receive or resume combination antiretroviral therapy. Donor volunteers will be excluded if they have taken certain antiretrovirals drugs, have a medical history of cancer or of other blood-borne illnesses, or have other medical conditions that might interfere with the study. Recipient volunteers will be excluded if they have a medical history of malignant cancer or other medical conditions that might possibly interfere with the study.

Donors will undergo apheresis to separate white blood cells from circulating blood before the red blood cells and plasma are returned to the bloodstream. The procedure will take up to five hours, and donors will be required to return for additional tests. Donors may be asked to return for further white blood cell donations, a maximum of six procedures per year.

Recipients will undergo apheresis to obtain stem cells for possible use in the study, and will be admitted to an NIH Clinical Center inpatient unit to receive an infusion of white blood cells and undergo a series of blood tests both before and after the infusion. The infusion process will take two hours. After being discharged, recipients will be asked to return to the Clinical Center for monitoring and follow-up tests, and may receive further infusions.