Abstract
Studying vertical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission enables the impact of passively transferred antibodies on HIV transmission and pathogenesis to be examined. Using phage display of HIV envelope peptides and peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we found that, in infants who acquired HIV, passive antibody responses to constant region 5 (C5) were associated with improved survival in 2 cohorts. In a combined analysis, C5 peptide ELISA activity was correlated directly with survival and estimated infection time and inversely with set point viral load. These results suggest that preexisting C5-specific antibodies may be correlated with the survival of infants living with HIV, motivating additional research into their protective potential.