Frequent intratype neutralization by plasma immunoglobulin A identified in HIV-2 infection.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is less transmissible and less pathogenic compared to HIV-1 and, when matched for CD4+ T cell count, the plasma viral load in HIV-2 infected individuals is approximately one log lower than in HIV-1 infected individuals. The explanation for these observations is elusive, but differences in virus controlling immunity generated in the two infections may be