Racial heterogeneity of HIV antigenemia in people with HIV infection.
We compared the prevalence of HIV p24 antigenemia in black and white US patients with HIV infection. The prevalence of HIV antigenemia increased with severity of HIV disease (P less than 0.001). In all clinical categories, whites were more likely to be HIV-antigenemic than blacks (overall prevalence 38 versus 18%; P less than 0.01). Anti-p24 antibodies were detected in a higher proportion of blacks (84%) than whites (65%; P = 0.02). Blacks had significantly higher total serum immunoglobulin levels than whites (median 3.8 versus 3.2 mg/dl; P less than 0.00001). Racial differences in HIV antigen expression may result from differences in humoral response to HIV infection. These differences should be considered when HIV antigen is used as a surrogate marker in clinical trials.
Chaisson
R E
RE
Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Fuchs
E
E
Stanton
D L
DL
Quinn
T C
TC
Hendricksen
C
C
Bartlett
J G
JG
Farzadegan
H
H
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000097:blood*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015488:HIV Antigens; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D014758:Viral Core Proteins