title: Characterization of autoantibodies to the CD4 molecule in human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: Autoantibodies to the CD4 protein, which serves as a receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the surface of target cells, were found in patients with different stages of HIV disease. Using recombinant soluble CD4 (rCD4) antigen in a enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we detected serum anti-CD4 antibodies in approximately 20% of HIV-1 infected patients and 13% of HIV-2 infected patients. There was no correlation between the presence of anti-CD4 antibodies and the stage of HIV disease, serum IgG concentration, number of peripheral blood CD4 positive lymphocytes, or CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratios in HIV-1 infected patients. Immunoaffinity purified anti-CD4 antibody failed to bind to CD4 positive cells using flow cytometric analysis. However, this antibody could weakly bind to CD4 positive cells that had been preincubated with purified recombinant gp120 (rgp120). In addition, using an ELISA system, we found that the binding of purified patient anti-CD4 antibody to rCD4 was increased in the presence of rgp120. Similar increased binding was observed with the anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody OKT4, but not with anti-Leu3a. These data suggest that a conformational change in the C-terminal domains of CD4 may be induced by gp120 binding and could lead to development of anti-CD4 antibodies.
authors.affiliation: New England Deaconess Hospital, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekigawa
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Groopmen
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biberfield
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Byrn
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015704:CD4 Antigens