Dale N. Lawrence

The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Patients with Hemophilia

Since mid-1981 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has received reports of more than 1900 cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These cases had either Kaposis sarcoma confirmed by biopsy or a life-threatening opportunistic infection confirmed by biopsy or culture. In January 1982 a hemophiliac with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was reported to the CDC, and by July 1982 two other hemophiliacs had developed P. carinii pneumonia. During the next 12 months a total of 22 confirmed cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome occurred in hemophiliacs, 17 in the United States and 5 outside the United States. We report the nature of the epidemic of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in hemophiliacs and summarize pertinent clinical aspects.

Long-term safety analysis of preventive HIV-1 vaccines evaluated in AIDS vaccine evaluation group NIAID-sponsored Phase I and II clinical trials.

This report evaluates long-term safety data from 3189 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) uninfected, healthy volunteers who were enrolled into 51 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored Phase I and II multicentred, randomized, double-blind trials of recombinant HIV-1 subunit vaccines (23 studies), synthetic peptide vaccines (7 studies), live vaccinia-vector recombinant envelope vaccines (7 studies), canarypox vector recombinant vaccines (13 studies), a DNA vaccine (1 study), and a Salmonella-vector vaccine (1 study). During the 12,340 person-years of follow-up, participants were monitored for adverse events including immune dysfunction/autoimmunity, anaphylaxis, cancer, death, and vaccine allergy. The analysis provides evidence that a preparation of a C4-V3 polypeptide vaccine emulsified in incomplete Freunds caused serious toxicity, but otherwise no safety problems considered serious were identified for any of the vaccines and adjuvants studied. These data serve to solidify the growing safety base of current vaccine technologies utilized in candidate vaccines for HIV-1 infection.

Specificity and 6-Month Durability of Immune Responses Induced by DNA and Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vaccines Expressing HIV-1 Virus-Like Particles

BACKGROUND Clade B DNA and recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccines producing virus-like particles displaying trimeric membrane-bound envelope glycoprotein (Env) were tested in a phase 2a trial in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected adults for safety, immunogenicity, and 6-month durability of immune responses. METHODS A total of 299 individuals received 2 doses of JS7 DNA vaccine and 2 doses of MVA/HIV62B at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively (the DDMM regimen); 3 doses of MVA/HIV62B at 0, 2, and 6 months (the MMM regimen); or placebo injections. RESULTS At peak response, 93.2% of the DDMM group and 98.4% of the MMM group had binding antibodies for Env. These binding antibodies were more frequent and of higher magnitude for the transmembrane subunit (gp41) than the receptor-binding subunit (gp120) of Env. For both regimens, response rates were higher for CD4(+) T cells (66.4% in the DDMM group and 43.1% in the MMM group) than for CD8(+) T cells (21.8% in the DDMM group and 14.9% in the MMM group). Responding CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were biased toward Gag, and >70% produced 2 or 3 of the 4 cytokines evaluated (ie, interferon γ, interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor α, and granzyme B). Six months after vaccination, the magnitudes of antibodies and T-cell responses had decreased by <3-fold. CONCLUSIONS DDMM and MMM vaccinations with virus-like particle-expressing immunogens elicited durable antibody and T-cell responses.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: The Past as Prologue

Excerpt In June 1981, five cases ofPneumocystis cariniipneumonia in young homosexual men were reported to the Centers for Disease Control (1). Since then, over 1000 definite cases of life-threateni...

Lessons from a multisite international trial in the Caribbean and South America of an HIV-1 Canarypox vaccine (ALVAC-HIV vCP1452) with or without boosting with MN rgp120.

Background:The first multicenter, international National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored HIV vaccine trial took place in Brazil, Haiti, Peru and Trinidad. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a clade B-derived, live canarypox HIV vaccine, vCP1452. vCP1452 was administered alone or with a heterologous boost of MN rgp120 glycoprotein. The trial was pivotal in deciding whether these vaccines advanced to phase 3 efficacy trials. Methods:Forty seronegative volunteers per site were randomized to ALVAC alone, ALVAC plus MN rgp120, or placebo in a 0, 1, 3, and 6 month schedule. Immunogenicity was assayed by chromium-release cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses; interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays (ELISpot); lymphocyte proliferation assays (LPA); neutralization; and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Results:Enrollment and follow-up were excellent. Both vaccines were well tolerated. Neutralizing antibody to the laboratory-adapted MN strain was detected. Cellular immune responses, as measured by CTL, ELISpot, and LPA, did not differ between vaccines and placebos. Conclusions:The observation of disappointing immunogenicity in this and a parallel domestic study has informed future vaccine development. Equally important, challenges to doing an integrated trial across countries, cultures, languages, and differing at-risk populations were overcome. The identification of specific safety, ethical, logistic, and immunological issues in this trial established the foundation for current larger international studies.

Prospective Surveillance for Cardiac Adverse Events in Healthy Adults Receiving Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vaccines: A Systematic Review

Background Vaccinia-associated myo/pericarditis was observed during the US smallpox vaccination (DryVax) campaign initiated in 2002. A highly-attenuated vaccinia strain, modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) has been evaluated in clinical trials as a safer alternative to DryVax and as a vector for recombinant vaccines. Due to the lack of prospectively collected cardiac safety data, the US Food and Drug Administration required cardiac screening and surveillance in all clinical trials of MVA since 2004. Here, we report cardiac safety surveillance from 6 phase I trials of MVA vaccines. Methods Four clinical research organizations contributed cardiac safety data using common surveillance methods in trials administering MVA or recombinant MVA vaccines to healthy participants. ‘Routine cardiac investigations’ (ECGs and cardiac enzymes obtained 2 weeks after injections of MVA or MVA-HIV recombinants, or placebo-controls), and ‘Symptom-driven cardiac investigations’ are reported. The outcome measure is the number of participants who met the CDC-case definition for vaccinia-related myo/pericarditis or who experienced cardiac adverse events from an MVA vaccine. Results Four hundred twenty-five study participants had post-vaccination safety data analyzed, 382 received at least one MVA-containing vaccine and 43 received placebo; 717 routine ECGs and 930 cardiac troponin assays were performed. Forty-five MVA recipients (12%) had additional cardiac testing performed; 22 for cardiac symptoms, 19 for ECG/laboratory changes, and 4 for cardiac symptoms with an ECG/laboratory change. No participant had evidence of symptomatic or asymptomatic myo/pericarditis meeting the CDC-case definition and judged to be related to an MVA vaccine. Conclusions Prospective surveillance of MVA recipients for myo/pericarditis did not detect cardiac adverse reactions in 382 study participants. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00082446  NCT003766090  NCT00252148  NCT00083603  NCT00301184  NCT00428337

Antibody to Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Membrane Antigens, Beta2-Microglobulin Levels, and Thymosin Alpha1 Levels in Hemophiliacs and Their Spouses

Recently, antibodies to human T-cell leukemia virus membrane antigens (HTLV-MA) and elevated levels of beta 2-microglobulin and thymosin alpha 1 have been found with high frequency in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Prospective studies of asymptomatic persons at high risk for this syndrome will ascertain whether any of these findings is a predictive marker for the disease. In this study, antibodies to HTLV-MA, beta 2-microglobulin levels, and thymosin alpha 1 levels were determined for a group of asymptomatic adult hemophiliacs and their wives. Five of thirty-nine hemophiliacs had HTLV-MA antibody, compared with none of 21 wives tested. The mean beta 2-microglobulin level for hemophiliacs was significantly higher than the control value (p less than 0.001), whereas the wives had a normal mean value. The mean thymosin alpha 1 values were normal for hemophiliacs and their wives; however, 3 of 22 hemophiliacs and 1 of 16 wives had abnormally high levels. Whether any of these abnormalities correlate with subsequent development of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome will be ascertained by longitudinal follow-up of this population.

Food- and Waterborne Disease Outbreaks on Passenger Cruise Vessels and Aircraft1

Outbreaks of illness on passenger cruise vessels during 1970–1975 were caused by Shigella flexneri, Salmonella, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Vehicles for the etiological agents were water, multiple foods, seafood cocktail, and shrimp and lobster. Staphylococcus aureus caused two outbreaks of foodborne illness on aircraft during the same period. Vehicles were custard and ham.

ESTUDOS EPIDEMIOLÓGICOS ENTRE POPULAÇÕES AMERÍNDIAS DA AMAZÔNIA. III. PARASITOSES INTESTINAIS EM POVOAÇÕES RECENTEMENTE CONTACTADAS E EM ACULTURAÇÃO.

Os predominios de parasitas intestinais entre os residentes de tres povoacoes de indios sul-americanos no processo de aculturacao foram comparados com os encontrados em pesquisas anteriores, nao publicadas, em duas povoacoes recentemente contactadas. Embora um individuo, em uma povoacao, em aculturacao, hospedasse 11 diferentes parasitas intestinais, em geral, o numero medio de diferentes especies de parasitas por pessoa era um tanto maior nas povoacoes recentemente contactadas. A contagem de ovos de helmintos, efetuada diretamente nas sujeiras de cada especime de uma vila recentemente contactada, foi baixa. Nao houve diferencas em predominio associadas ao sexo. Os predominios totais, nao ajustados por idade, estavam entre os mais altos registrados para amerindios. Nenhuma especie de Taenia ocorreu. Balantidium coli ocorreu em duas vilas em aculturacao, concomitante com o inicio de praticas agricolas que incluem criacao de suinos. Nenhum caso de ma nutricao de caloria proteica moderada ou severa foi observado em qualquer das vilas durante as pesquisas. Estes limitados dados fornecem uma linha base para futuras comparacoes, e, talvez, um olhar rapido no passado.

Public Health Implications of Emerging Vaccine Technologies

The field of public health and medicine stands to benefit immensely from the emerging vaccine technologies and improved application of existing technologies. Technological advances may promote: (1) greater flexibility and simplicity in the design and operation of immunization campaigns or ongoing prevention programs, including reduction in number of vaccine doses, cold chain elimination, slow-release/prolonged antigenic stimulation, reduced cost and hazard and increased ease of administration through noninvasive, oral delivery systems, greater population levels of immunization and health; (2) the development of documents by FDA, WHO, and other regulatory authorities and groups, to assist the manufacturer in the appropriate manufacturing, preclinical, and clinical development of these new vaccines; (3) a greater array of vaccines to protect the civilian and military populations; (4) increased vaccine potency; (5) vaccines eliciting mucosal immunity, cytotoxic T cells, and/or neutralizing antibody. At the end of the 20th century there remain many unconquered pathogens and noninfectious indications for which medical science suggests that vaccines could be effective. New technologies may provide the best hope to address this wide array of public health needs.