title: Complement activation and immune complexes in early congenital HIV infection.
abstract: Previous reports from our laboratory have shown that complement activation and the presence of circulating immune complexes are features of congenital human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as they are in HIV-infected adults. The studies reported here were undertaken to (a) define whether complement activation is congenitally infected infants and children involves classic, alternative, or both pathways; (b) investigate the relationship between complement activation and circulating immune complexes; and (c) determine how early in congenital HIV infection complement activation and immune complexes can be found. We report that classic complement pathway activation and C1q-binding immune complexes can be found within the first 4 months of congenital HIV infection. However, the association between classic pathway activation and immune complexes before age 10 months was weak. These data raise interesting questions about complement-mediated immune complex processing in HIV-infected infants and young children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology/Rheumatology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iobidze
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D003167:Complement Activation; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000378:metabolism; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D015935:Complement C4b; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000151:congenital* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003181:Complement C4; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015922:Complement C1q; D015935:Complement C4b; C032261:complement C4d