Humoral immune responses to gag and env proteins from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in hemophiliac patients.
Solid-phase enzyme immunoassays using recombinant gag and env proteins were developed to study humoral immune responses to HIV infection in a cohort of 105 hemophiliac patients. Thirteen patients with ARC or AIDS and 92 asymptomatic patients were studied. A cross-sectional study showed a wide range of antibody responses to gag and env proteins; however, the differences between the ARC/AIDS and asymptomatic patients were statistically significant for both antigens (P less than .0004). In a longitudinal study, antibody levels in sera from 11 asymptomatic patients with gag antibody log units less than or equal to 1.5 were compared to levels in sera from 10 ARC/AIDS patients and 8 asymptomatic patients with gag antibody greater than 1.5. These patient groups were followed for comparable periods of time (67.1-71.7 mo). The asymptomatic patients with low gag antibody and the ARC/AIDS patients showed a similar pattern of antibody response to gag protein overtime. In hemophiliac patients with HIV-1 infection a low titer of antibody to gag protein is not invariably associated with clinical deterioration and is not a useful serologic marker of impending progression to AIDS.
Kinney
J S
JS
Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Conway
J H
JH
Hilgartner
M W
MW
Clayman
B
B
Mayur
K
K
Yolken
R H
RH
Viscidi
R P
RP
D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000276:immunology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag