title: Persistent immune complexes and abnormal CD4/CD8 ratios in HIV infection.
abstract: We assessed the immunopathologic role of circulating immune complexes in human immunodeficiency virus infection by evaluating the data base and the serum bank of the San Francisco Men's Health Study, a longitudinal clinical and epidemiological investigation conducted since 1983. A group of 4,276 sera from 1,023 (including 811 homosexual/bisexual) men were tested for circulating immune complexes. We used a modification of the commercially available enzyme immunoassay test, based on monoclonal anti-C1q antibodies coupled to the solid phase, for capturing circulating immune complexes from the test serum, followed by detection of circulating immune complexes with either anti-IgG or with anti-IgM probes. Although persistent IgM and IgG circulating immune complexes were most frequently encountered in human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive homosexual/bisexual men, they were not an indicator of disease progression as assessed by abnormalities in the absolute numbers or ratios of CD4- and CD8-positive T cells, or clinical signs and symptoms of AIDS/ARC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khayam-Bashi
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Vyas
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001727:Bisexuality; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M