title: Low number of functionally active B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of HIV-1-seropositive individuals with low p24-specific serum antibody titers.
abstract: The in vitro synthesis of HIV-1, p24-, reverse transcriptase (RT)- and gp120-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G by unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 38 asymptomatic and 10 symptomatic HIV-1-seropositive individuals was analysed. In the majority of these individuals, spontaneous production of HIV-1- and gp120-specific IgG from PBMC cultures was demonstrated. In addition, in the majority of the PBMC cultures from individuals with high serum antibody titers to p24, spontaneous production of p24-specific IgG was shown. In contrast, no p24-specific IgG production was detected in PBMC cultures from seropositive individuals with low or no serum antibody titers to p24. A similar relationship between low or absent RT-specific serum antibody titers and the absence of in vitro RT-specific IgG synthesis was not demonstrated. Furthermore, it was shown that the number of p24-specific B lymphocytes in circulation, as calculated by a spot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were significantly lower in individuals with low serum antibody titers to p24. These results suggest that the decline in p24-specific serum antibodies observed during progression towards AIDS is not merely a reflection of the clearance via immune complexes, but may also be attributable, at least in part, to a reduction of p24-specific antibody-producing active B lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunobiology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Teeuwsen
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keet
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Schattenkerk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Debouck
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Akker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goudsmit
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000276:immunology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015215:Zidovudine; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase