title: Antibodies to reverse transcriptase in HIV infection and progression to AIDS.
abstract: Serum antibodies to the reverse transcriptase (ART) of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) were sequentially determined by ELISA in a group of 41 HIV-seropositive male homosexuals and 101 matched healthy controls, over 1.5-6 years (mean follow-up 3.25 years). Mean ART levels were significantly higher in the patient group as compared to the controls (195 +/- 75 vs. 75 +/- 45 absorbance (A) units; P less than 0.05). When analyzed in parallel with clinical evaluation and T-cell subset determinations, a "surge" in ART activity was associated with a more favourable course: eleven patients whose ART profile showed an increase greater than 100 A units (mean delta A 159.6 units) showed an attenuated decrease of CD4+ (T helper) lymphocytes with a mean time of 42.5 months to reach a CD4+ number of 400 cells/mm3. In contrast, 25 matched seropositive patients whose ART remained constant became CD4+ less than 400 cells/mm3 within a mean time of 10.8 months (P less than 0.05). These results as well as individual patients' data support a surge in serum ART as a favourable prognostic indicator, and may indicate a protective role for this antibody which should be followed up and possibly utilized in the treatment or in the design of a vaccine against HIV-1.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase