Efforts to characterize HIV-1 polymorphism and anti-HIV immune response are being made in areas where anti-HIV/AIDS vaccines are to be employed. Anti-HIV-1 humoral immune response is being studied in infected individuals resident in Rio de Janeiro, in distinct cohorts involving recent seroconvertors, pregnant women or intravenous drug users (IDU). Comparative analyses of specificity of antibody response towards epitopes important for anti-HIV-1 immune response indicate quantitative differences between cohorts, with an exceptionally strong response in IDUs and weakest response in pregnant women. However, a comparative analysis between pregnant women cohorts from Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul indicated an even lower response (with exception of the anti-V3-C clade peptide recognition) for the southern cohort. Studies analysing the immune function of the humoral response indicate a quite elevated occurrence of antibodies capable of neutralizing heterologous primary HIV-

Susceptibility to autologous and heterologous neutralization of primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 isolates belonging to subtype B, to the B′′‐variant of subtype B or to subtype F from infected individuals residing in Rio de Janeiro was assayed. A lower infectivity of the B′′‐ and F isolates when compared to the classical B‐subtype HIV‐1 isolates was observed. Comparisons of neutralization susceptibilities were carried out for 19 B‐subtype, 11 B′′‐variant and two F‐subtype HIV‐1 isolates with plasma from autologous and heterologous samples. Frequency of autologous neutralization was slightly lower for B‐subtype isolates in comparison to B′′‐variant isolates. Heterologous intra‐subtype neutralization was significantly lower for B‐subtype than for the B′′‐variant or the F‐subtype isolates. While B‐subtype isolates were neutralized by most anti‐F‐subtype plasma, F‐subtype isolates, although most susceptible to F‐subtype antibodies, were highly susceptible to neutralization by anti‐B‐subtype antibodies. Cross‐neutralization for B′′‐variant and B‐subtype isolates was not as extensive as observed for B‐ and F‐subtype isolates. However, the results presented indicate a quite extensive cross‐neutralization between Brazilian HIV‐1 isolates.

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