title: Discrimination of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection based on recombinant immunoblots.
abstract: Recombinant polypeptides representing various parts of structural proteins of HIV-1 and HIV-2 were expressed in E. coli. Fragments of the transmembrane proteins gp41 of HIV-1 (HTLV-IIIB) and gp38 of HIV-2 (LAV-2 ROD) proved to be highly antigenic in the immunoblot test system. Each protein was found to be suitable for detection and differentiation of antibodies in sera of patients infected with HIV-1 or HIV-2. Sera of 100 patients from West-Germany, which were confirmed as positive for HIV-1 antibodies, reacted clearly with the HIV-1 recombinant antigen (fpOE-6); no or only weak immune reactions were seen when the analogous recombinant HIV-2 antigen (fpOE-T) was used in the same immunoblot test. An inverse reaction pattern was found with 7 sera from Africa which, by conventional means, were proved to be HIV-2 antibody positive. These sera specifically reacted with the homologous HIV-2 fusion protein and no or only weakly stained bands were identified on the analogous strip with the HIV-1 antigen (fpOE-6).
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische und Molekulaire Virologie der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, F.R.G.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erlwein
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ehrmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins