title: Antibody production in infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers.
abstract: Naturally occurring antibodies to polysaccharide antigens of pathogens commonly isolated from HIV-1-infected subjects were analyzed in serially collected sera of children born to seropositive mothers. Purified polysaccharides from type 14 Streptococcus pneumoniae, group C Neisseria meningitidis, type b Haemophilus influenzae, glucomannoprotein from Candida albicans and diphtheria toxoid antigens were used in an ELISA test to assess antibody levels. A significant rise of anti-pneumococcus antibody titres was noticed both in HIV-1-infected and in non-HIV-1-infected children aged 18 months or more. Anti-C. albicans and anti-group C N. meningitidis antibodies were elevated only in HIV-1-infected children older than 12 months. Anti-type b H. influenzae antibodies remained at low titres in both groups. Anti-diphtheria toxoid antibodies, analyzed as a model of humoral response to a protein antigen, were similar in both groups of HIV-1-infected and noninfected children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Hunolstein
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quinti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stegagno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orefici
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000276:immunology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011134:Polysaccharides