However, elite controllers, who are able to control HIV-1 infection without any treatment maintain higher pDC counts and IFN-α production compared with viremic patients and infected patients on combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART; previously called highly active anti-retroviral therapy) (104), suggesting that IFN-Is play pivotal roles in controlling HIV-1 infection in elite controllers. This evidence concerns the gene IFNA2 and HIV-1 infection.