| Characteristic |
Elite Controllers |
Long-term Nonprogressors |
Comments |
| Magnitude of viral load |
Typically below the limit of detection of the clinical assay (i.e. <50 copies/mL) |
N/A |
Low to moderate viremia is common in LTNP |
| Longitudinal characteristics of viral load suppression |
Varying definitions:
a) ≥3 undetectable VLs over ≥12 months1, 9
b) Undetectable VLs for ≥2 years11
c) >90% with undetectable VLs for ≥10 years12 |
N/A |
|
| Magnitude of CD4 cell count |
N/A |
≥500 cells/uL most common |
CD4 cell counts typically elevated in elite controllers |
| Longitudinal characteristics of CD4 cell count |
N/A |
Varying definitions:
a) All CD4 counts ≥600 cells/uL for ≥7 years13
a) All CD4 values ≥500 cells/uL for ≥8 years3
b) All CD4 values ≥500 cells/uL for ≥10 years1
c) Definitions including both magnitude and slope of CD4 over time14, 15 |
|
| Antiretroviral therapy |
No therapy |
No therapy |
|
| AIDS-defining illness |
Absent |
Absent |
|
