Antibody response to the viral negative factor (nef) in HIV-1 infection: a correlate of levels of HIV-1 expression.
Antibody responses against the nef gene product of HIV-1 were determined in sequential sera from a longitudinally studied cohort of 194 initially asymptomatic HIV-1-seropositive individuals and 72 individuals who seroconverted for antibodies to HIV-1 structural proteins (gag/env). In the majority of men, nef-specific antibodies, once detected, persisted (67.6%). In some men, nef-specific antibodies were only transiently (6.8%), or intermittently (5.3%), detectable. No nef-specific antibodies were found in the remaining men (20.3%). Nef-specific antibodies were elicited early in infection, but rarely (2/72 men) prior to seroconversion for antibodies to HIV-1 structural proteins. An absent, transient, or intermittent nef-specific antibody response was significantly associated with the absence or disappearance of antibodies to HIV-1 core proteins, with (re)appearance and persistence of HIV-1 core antigen and with the presence of low CD4+ cell numbers, i.e. profiles previously shown to be predictive of rapid disease progression. Although more cases of AIDS and AIDS-related disease (21/86 versus 28/180) occurred in the nef-specific antibody-negative group than in the nef-specific antibody-positive group, this difference did not reach significance.
Reiss
P
P
Department of Virology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
de Ronde
A
A
Lange
J M
JM
de Wolf
F
F
Dekker
J
J
Debouck
C
C
Goudsmit
J
J
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015693:Gene Products, nef; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015693:Gene Products, nef; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins