No strong correlation was found between the initial timing of A-SAA elevation and either R 0 (the viral reproductive rate), the slope of viral ramp-up or the highest recorded viral load in the 19 subjects studied here. Nevertheless, the relationship between the magnitude and dynamics of early acute-phase protein production and the acute viral burst and subsequent efficiency of control of viremia should be addressed in a future study on a larger cohort from whom samples were collected over a longer time-frame extending into early infection. Interestingly, we also noted that levels of AAT proteolytic fragments in plasma from subjects chronically-infected with HIV-1 were elevated as compared to those in healthy controls (data not shown), suggesting that acute phase proteins may also play a role in chronic viral infection. It is possible that components of the acute phase response may not only contribute to the control of viral replication in infected individuals, but may also be involved in mediating resistance to infection. For instance, HIV-1-exposed uninfected individuals have been shown to have elevated levels of cleaved forms of A-SAA [19] , which suggests that their anti-viral activity contributes to resistance against infection.