title: Quantitative analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antibody reactivity by western immunoblots: evaluation of relative antibody levels in seropositive individuals and mothers.
abstract: A quantitative analysis of antibody responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proteins using Western immunoblots and 125I-labeled protein A is reproducible and can be validated. The antibody levels obtained by Western immunoblots were compared with stoichiometric p24 radioimmunoassay over a wide range of antibody (correlation coefficient, .94; P less than .001). Antibody levels to gp160 and gp120 were validated using purified antigens. Analysis of antibody levels from 31 seropositive individuals revealed a statistically significant correlation between antibody levels to p24 and the other viral proteins except gp120. Anti-gag p24 antibody was strongly correlated with antibodies to other env products, specifically gp41 and gp160. Using the validated assay, HIV-1-infected mothers of infants were found to have highly variable levels of antibody to all viral proteins. Mothers of infected infants did not differ significantly from mothers of uninfected infants in antibody pattern or levels to any viral protein including gp120.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, School of Medicine, FL 33136.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Geffin
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hutto
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Master
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Parks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D011498:Protein Precursors