title: Autoantibodies in male homosexuals and HIV infection.
abstract: We have used ELISA to study the frequency of autoantibodies to several antigens in the serum of 17 male homosexuals (MHS) negative for HIV (HIV-), 11 asymptomatic HIV seropositive MHS (HIV+) and patients with ARC (N = 15) or AIDS (N = 13), and compared them to 20 matched healthy heterosexual controls. Serum antibody binding to histones, cardiolipin, ss-A, ss-B and Sm was found to be significantly higher in each of the MHS groups studied as compared to controls (P less than 0.001), and was also increased in the HIV+ patients vs. the HIV- group (P less than 0.05). In contrast, no increase in autoantibodies to ss-DNA, ds-DNA, poly(I), poly(G) or RNP were found in any of the groups tested. These results enlarge the spectrum of autoimmunity previously reported in HIV infection and identify a similar pattern to a lesser degree, already present in HIV- MHS, suggesting a role for HIV or concomitant virus infections in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Autoimmune Diseases, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Argov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schattner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burstein
authors.forename: Z T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Handzel
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bentwich
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000276:immunology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004247:DNA