title: Effects of antiviral therapy on the production of anti-human immunodeficiency virus-specific immunoglobulin in infants and children.
abstract: The effect of zidovudine therapy on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific antibody production was studied in 64 HIV-1-infected infants and children > 6 months old. HIV-specific in vitro antibody production (IVAP) was measured in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). IVAP decreased in 85% of children after zidovudine was initiated (mean decline, 1 log within 2 months). Effects were seen as early as 1 week after starting zidovudine. No change in IVAP was seen in children not treated. In comparison, plasma core (p24) antigen levels declined and CD4+ lymphocytes increased in only 42% and 52%, respectively, of treated subjects. Thus, the production of antibody to HIV-1 decreases rapidly after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy. This response to therapy may provide a simple and sensitive method of monitoring antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: P Z
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krasinski
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Borkowsky
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015215:Zidovudine