title: Local synthesis of IgG antibodies to HIV within the female and male genital tracts during asymptomatic and pre-AIDS stages of HIV infection.
abstract: Paired sera and cervicovaginal secretions or seminal fluids, obtained from HIV-1-infected, clinically asymptomatic women (n = 41) and men (n = 12), were investigated in order to test the hypothesis of a local synthesis of IgG to HIV in the female and male reproductive tracts. Anti-gp41 + p24 IgG was evaluated by an IgG immunocapture assay, and anti-gp160 IgG by an indirect ELISA. Estimation of anti-HIV IgG-specific activities was carried out after ponderal determination of total IgG and evaluation of anti-HIV IgG activity. IgG to gp41 + p24, as well as IgG to gp160, were specifically detected in all sera, cervicovaginal secretions, and seminal fluid samples from all tested HIV-1-infected subjects. The mean specific activities of IgG to gp41 + p24 in cervicovaginal secretions and in seminal fluids were about 33-fold (in women) and 16-fold (in men) that of the corresponding sera; similarly, the mean specific activities of IgG to gp160 in genital secretions were about 17-fold (in women) and 10-fold (in men) that of the corresponding sera. IgGs to HIV are constantly detected in genital secretions from HIV-1-infected subjects, and appear to be largely synthesized in situ within the genital tract of both genders.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Immunologie Microbienne, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bélec
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tévi-Bénissan
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prazuck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pillot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000276:immunology; D005835:Genitalia / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011498:Protein Precursors