title: Antibodies to recombinant HIV-1 nef protein detected in HIV-1 infection as well as in nonrisk individuals.
abstract: Antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) regulatory gene nef (negative factor) product are claimed to be characteristic of early and latent HIV infection. We looked for anti-nef antibodies in individuals infected with HIV or at risk for HIV, in blood donors, and in patients with diverse dermatological disorders. In HIV-infected patients, antibodies to recombinant nef protein were seen by Western blot assay in 29 of 54 (54%) individuals at any time during a prospective follow-up. Except for a decline in the level prior to ARC and AIDS, the occurrence of antibodies did not significantly correlate with any pattern of disease progression in 22 patients followed for up to 4 years. Among the 141 HIV risk group members, negative in recombinant HIV ELISA tests, anti-nef antibodies were detected in 7 (5%) individuals. However, an anti-nef antibody response was also seen in 5 of 93 (5%) nonrisk dermatological patients and in 4 of 37 (11%) healthy blood donors. Solitary HIV gag protein antibody responses were most frequent (7%) in the group of individuals at risk for HIV but the majority of anti-nef positive sera did not react with HIV gag proteins. The relatively frequent occurrence of indistinguishable anti-nef antibody responses in nonrisk individuals suggests that immunological cross-reaction between nef and some cellular regulatory protein may occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Järvinen
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nurmilaakso
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krohn
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D015693:Gene Products, nef / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D015693:Gene Products, nef; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus