title: Antibody against the human immunodeficiency virus in commercial intravenous gammaglobulin preparations.
abstract: In a 6-month study, antibody levels against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were determined in intravenous gammaglobulin preparations and 45 serum samples from 20 patients on gammaglobulin therapy. All 10 lots of a reduced and alkylated preparation and 4 of 8 lots of a pH4/pepsin-treated preparation were seropositive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). By Western blot analysis, 8 of 10 lots of the reduced and alkylated preparation and 3 of 8 lots of the pH4/pepsin-treated preparation were positive. Before gammaglobulin infusion, 2 of 45 preinfusion samples were seropositive by ELISA but seronegative by Western blot. After infusion, 15 of 45 samples were seropositive by ELISA, and 8 had antibody against p24 by Western blot. Seropositivity persisted for less than 1 month. Cultures of HIV-positive intravenous gammaglobulin lots were negative for reverse transcriptase activity or viral antigen expression. These results suggest that current methods of preparation either exclude or inactivate HIV.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D005719:gamma-Globulins