Lack of relationship between human immunodeficiency virus infection and systemic lupus erythematosus.
The objective of this work was to determine whether HIV-1 and HIV-2 could be involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Seventy-five consecutive Caucasian patients with SLE presenting at one institution over a 2-year period were studied. Serum samples were surveyed for anti-HIV-1 antibodies by a commercial ELISA coated with HIV-1-p24. For confirmation, conventional immunoblots were performed with the following antigens: HIV-1-gp41, p31, p24 and p17 (recombinant) and HIV-2-gp36 (synthetic peptide). Additionally, Western blots with HIV-1-gp160, gp120, gp41, p65, p51, p24 and p18 bands were applied. Seventeen (23%) patients exhibited reactivity with HIV-1-p24 in the ELISA, but in the immunoblots and Western blots these sera samples were negative. Patients with SLE may exhibit a reactivity with HIV-1-p24 in the ELISA for HIV infection screening but not in the confirmatory blots. This false-positive reactivity is probably due to molecular mimicry between autoantigens and retroviruses or a contaminant or artefacts in the antigen preparation procedure.
Font
J
J
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Vidal
J
J
Cervera
R
R
López-Soto
A
A
Miret
C
C
Jiménez de Anta
M T
MT
Ingelmo
M
M
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D015498:HIV-2; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D007074:Immunoglobulin G