Therapeutic immunization strategy.

HAART treated chronic HIV-infected subjects received two vaccines: recombinant ALVAC–HIV (vCP1433) and Lipo-6T (HIV-1 lipopeptides), followed by administration of three cycles of subcutaneous IL-2. Patients received a schedule of four shots of vaccine or placebo, every four weeks followed by three cycles of IL-2 at 4.5MIU (two injections a day for five days). Eight weeks after the last IL-2 cycle, HAART was stopped and patients’ viral load measured. The treatment was reintroduced only if viral load was over 50,000 copies/ml at one measurement or over 10,000 copies/ml at two consecutive measurements.